Oxford House Manual Table of Contents€¦ · Oxford House Manual Table of Contents Section 1. Introduction Oxford House Story System of Operations ... In October 1975, the first

Oxford House Manual Table of Contents

Section

1. IntroductionOxford House StorySystem of OperationsObtaining a CharterObtaining a HouseMembershipRulesOfficersHouse MeetingsMoneyThe Oxford House OrganizationRecovery, Responsibility, ReplicationFrequently Asked QuestionsOxford House Traditions

2. House OfficersPresidentHouse Meeting ProcedureVoting / Parliamentary ProcedureHouse Summary ReportSecretaryFiling OrganizationMeeting MinutesCoordinatorFire SafetyWeekly Chore ReportComptrollerWeekly LedgerIndividual LedgerHouse Services RepresentativeHouse Services CommitteeTreasurerProtecting House FinancesTreasurer ReportMonthly Audit

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2 6 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

28 28 29 31 32 32 33 35 35 38 39 40 41 42 42 44 44 45 47

Oxford House Manual Table of Contents

Section

3. New MembersInterview EtiquetteSuggested Interview QuestionsInsights for New MembersGuest ExpectationsApplicationResident Contract

4. Guidelines, Accountability, ContractsSuggested House RulesGuidelines for ExpulsionDisruptive BehaviorDefinition of RelapseConflict ResolutionBehavior ContractFinancial Contract

5. Staying ConnectedUpdating Website InfoVacancy UpdatingAlumni RegistrationHouse Email Instructions

6. World Council Resolutions

The World Council, serving at the beginning ofthe convention, performs an important role byscreening resolutions to be voted on by theentire convention. Resolutions from the floortake a 2/3rds vote to be considered.Individuals or groups wanting a particularresolution considered always present it first tothe World Council in order to get it polishedand supported by a majority of the Council.Each house should adhere to theseresolutions, as they are democratically votedon by the residents and alumni representingOxford House as a whole.

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50 50 52 52 53 55

57 59 60 60 61 62 63

65 65 65 66

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Preface

This is the fourth revision of the Oxford House™ Manual©, which has served thousands of Oxford House members since 1975.

Whenever the masculine pronoun is used in this manual, it means the female pronoun as well. There are Oxford Houses for men and there are Oxford Houses for women. There are no Oxford Houses for both men and women in the same house.

On November 18, 1988 President Ronald Reagan signed P.L. 100-690, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, which establishes a nationwide program to encourage the mass replication of recovery houses based upon the Oxford House Concept. At the request of Congress, Oxford House™ worked with them in crafting a simple, but workable, start-up loan program in each state.

Expansion of Oxford Houses began in June 1989. Within five years the number of Oxford Houses had grown from 18 primarily located in and around the Nation’s Capitol to more than 500 located in 39 states.1 Each individual Oxford House™ receives a charter from Oxford House, Inc., the umbrella organization of the national network of individual Oxford Houses. Oxford House™ has become a national self-help movement that provides a missing link in the recovery process from alcoholism and drug addiction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This revision or up-date is dedicated to Jim S., the first member voted into Oxford House™– as was the second edition. On August 19, 1987, Jim died – at far too young an age but with over 12 years of remarkable sobriety. He touched hundreds of recovering alcoholics with his dedicated program of joyful sobriety and taught one and all that sobriety could be happiness, a good time, a full life and totally rewarding. For two and a half years he lived in Oxford House™, keeping everyone's spirits up and proving that Oxford House™ worked, and then rejoined his wife and two children.

As a "graduate of Oxford House™" Jim kept coming back to bring "newcomers" in and help "old-timers" out. Jim taught us all that you don't need to drink to have a good time in an Oxford House™. It is a very special fraternity.

© 1988, 2004, 2011 Oxford House, Inc., 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

1 The number of Oxford Houses reached 1,438 early in the third quarter of 2010 just prior to the 12th Oxford House World Convention heldSeptember 2nd – 5th at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. The total number of Oxford Houses includes houses in Australia, Ghana and Canada.

Section 1 OXFORD HOUSE MANUAL

Introduction Oxford House Story

Oxford House Model

Recovery, Responsibility, Replication

Frequently Asked Questions

Oxford House Traditions

The Oxford House™ Story In October 1975, the first Oxford House™ was opened in Silver Spring, Maryland, by a group of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts, who had been living in a county government halfway house, which was being closed. Each of them had been clean and sober for but a short period of time when they learned that the halfway house was to be closed. Each of them was fearful that he would return to alcoholic drinking or drug use without the support of living in a group committed to staying sober and straight. When the news reached them that the halfway house was going to be closed their first reaction was one of anger, resentment and panic. They had known that the halfway house had a "six month rule" which required an individual to move out after six months to make room for a newcomer. As a matter of fact, during their tenure in the halfway house they had watched 12 men move out at the end of six months. Eleven of the 12 had returned to drinking or using drugs within a month. That fact only added to the fears and insecurity they felt upon learning that the house they lived in would be closed and they all would have to move within thirty days. A private individual, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, held the lease on the house the county was closing. Several of the men faced with eviction approached him to see if there was some way the county could be convinced to change its decision. He felt such a change of heart was impossible. It was a matter of economics. County halfway houses cost a lot of money to run. The county budget was tight and Alpha I, as the halfway house was named, would definitely be closed. He then asked if the men had given any thought to taking over the house themselves. Over the next several days, hope began to replace the despair shared by the men but a number of obstacles stood between the ideas of taking over the house themselves and the reality of being able to do it. Where would they get the money? All of them had drunk themselves out of good jobs and few of them had done more than day work since getting sober. How could they pay for the rent, the utilities, the food and a counselor to manage a halfway house? Who could they find to run the house, even if they could come up with the money? Day and night they discussed the possibilities among themselves and went to a lot of AA meetings in order to get the advice of AA members. Time and again AA members gave them encouragement. "Just don't drink and pay the rent," they heard over and over again. "Keep it simple" and "Remember–a day at a time," were offered as advice almost as frequently. Slowly an idea began to form that maybe it could be done. The first task involved studying the costs of the halfway house to determine how much money was needed. The largest single cost was the paid manager, cook and counselor attached to the house. Someone suggested maybe they could live without a paid manager or cook or counselor. But who would be the supervisor or manager if they did not have a paid manager who lived in the house? Of the men in the halfway house to be closed, only one had gained six months of sobriety. The men decided that the cost of a manager, cook and counselor was too great. If there were going to be any chance of maintaining a house on his or her own, a way would have to be found to learn how to stay sober and manage a house without a paid staff. One man recalled that he had lived in a college fraternity with sixteen men and they had not had a paid manager. Of course there had been no requirement of not drinking in that house. As the men talked about the fraternity house concept fear of being able to enforce sobriety without

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the presence of a paid authority figure became the heart of the matter. They had been without real responsibility for so long there was considerable doubt about whether or not they could act responsibly as a group. As discussions centered on whether or not they could run a house themselves, talk would inevitably drift into complaints about the halfway house way of life. There were a lot of rules. Lights out at eleven o'clock at night. Everybody up at six in the morning. Breakfast at exactly seven o'clock. Table setting, dishwashing, vacuuming, trash removal, bed making – all specific assignments to be done at a specific time and in a particular way. Any suggested changes to the rigid routine were dismissed with a lecture and a warning to shape up or ship out. As much as the residents of the halfway house resented the arbitrary rules, the fear of having no place to live was even greater. After days and days of discussions an organizational plan began to evolve which gave the founders of Oxford House™ the confidence they needed to give it a try. Their experiences in the halfway house – both positive and negative – helped them develop an organization to carry the responsibilities for which the manager, cook and counselor had been responsible for in the county halfway house. On the positive side of the ledger of halfway house experience was the re-enforcement of sobriety that was gained by knowing that immediate eviction followed taking the first drink. From the start the founders recognized that there had to be an absolute rule against any alcohol or drug use by members of the house. The problem for a self-run group house was how to develop procedures to make sure that any resident who drank or took drugs would be thrown out. It was finally decided that the only way it could be done was to call a meeting of the house members and discuss the situation. If a member had taken drugs or a drink, there would have to be a vote to expel him from the house. If a majority of the members agreed that the member had in fact taken a drink or drugs, he was automatically out.2 Before the first relapse occurred there was considerable debate among the members about how one could tell if an individual has in fact returned to drinking or taking drugs. Some members thought that the house should purchase a breathalyzer to test everybody to guard against the "secret drinker" among us. Others suggested the election of an official "sniffer" (as a less expensive safeguard). New houses today will probably go through the same kinds of concern. The fact of the matter is that no member of a house is able to fool other members for very long. We are all professional alcoholics and/or drug addicts who would have done anything to drink and take drugs. We really do know all the tricks of the trade and a relapse cannot be covered up by any one of us for very long. Unfortunately, relapses can be a part of the disease of alcoholism and addiction. Some members of an Oxford House™ will return to their addiction. When they do, it is important for the other members of the house to act promptly. The worse mistake any house can make is to let a slip or relapse by one member slide. That slip endangers the sobriety of every other member of a house. Every Oxford House™ resident knows before he moves in that the use of

2 The first Oxford House™ tried a system that distinguished drinking or taking drugs in the house from drinking or taking drugs outside thehouse. In the former case expulsion from the house was automatic; in the latter case expulsion was likely but if the membership felt it was warranted a member who had relapsed away from the house could be given probation. This was done in four cases and it did not work in any of them. In each case the member with the relapse had relapsed again within a period of a few days or weeks. Experience showed that probation did not work. Therefore any slip or relapse now results in automatic expulsion. The vote taken by the house membership is solely to judge if in fact a relapse has taken place. The third condition of a house’s charter absolutely requires immediate expulsion and no house wants to lose its charter.

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alcohol or drugs results in getting kicked out. Oxford House™ members have the responsibility to use "tough love" and promptly expel the slipper – for his welfare, their own welfare and the welfare of the entire house3 Once a member has been expelled from a house because he has returned to drinking or taking drugs he cannot be readmitted unless there is a clear demonstration that he has returned to solid sobriety. Each house develops certain rules of thumb for determining a return to solid sobriety. Some accept successful completion of a 28-day rehabilitation program as a return to solid sobriety. Most generally require strong evidence of no drinking or taking of drugs and regular attendance at AA and/or NA as a minimum requirement for reacceptance into an Oxford House™4. The founders of Oxford House™ developed a democratic way of operation. They had to – they could not afford to pay a house manager or supervisor to take responsibility for them. The early history of Oxford House™ showed that the Oxford House residents could run a house on their own. Today, Oxford House™ is still self-run and it still works. Within six months of its beginning, the first Oxford House™ had helped finance and start the second Oxford House™. Soon those two houses started a third and the three houses then started a fourth. Over its first thirteen years Oxford House™ grew from one house to more than twenty houses and the expansion of a good idea had just begun. In October 1987, an Oxford House™ for men was started in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – far away from the cluster of houses in the Washington, D.C. area. It worked and the eleven men in that Oxford House™ followed the pattern begun the Washington area thirteen years earlier by finding another house to rent to start a second house in the Bethlehem area. Early in 1988, all the members of the individual Oxford Houses decided to establish a full-time central services office to provide other individuals recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction the technical assistance necessary for them to start Oxford Houses in their communities. There is a strong belief that Oxford House™ will work anywhere. As Oxford Houses open around the country, the first Oxford House™ in a particular area will follow the tradition set by the original Oxford House™ of helping other houses get started. Between 1989 and 2011 the growth of Oxford Houses has been phenomenal – more than 1,500 individual Oxford Houses have been started in 46 states, Australia, Ghana and Canada. Foundations, businesses, churches, individual and government agencies have helped fund technical assistance to help get the first few Oxford Houses established in an area. However, expansion of the movement continues to rely primarily upon the volunteer efforts of individuals living in existing Oxford Houses working with newly formed groups. Throughout the country

3 It is seldom easy to take action against the relapsing member but every Oxford House™ does. The first case is always the most difficultbecause all members in a house become friends and no one likes to have to throw a friend out. Nevertheless, principles must come before personalities and the member who has relapsed must leave the house right away. Otherwise the sobriety of every member of the house is threatened. More importantly, the good reputation of Oxford House™ is threatened. The first Oxford House™ used to be the subject of bets by outsiders about how soon it would fail. There was a genuine belief by many that a group house of recovering alcoholics and addicts could not work without a manager or counselor to enforce the edict against drinking or taking drugs. Those doubters all lost their bets because the members of Oxford House™ proved that they could act responsibly. The first responsibility of any Oxford House™ is to enforce sobriety.

4 Once a geographic area has opened several Oxford Houses, each house keeps in touch with the other houses so that a relapsing member doesnot simply move from one house to another. On the other hand, once a relapsing member regains sobriety, it may be advisable for him to "start over" in another house in the area if it has room. The group conscience of those for whom Oxford House™ is working generally has no trouble in guiding the recovered relapser into the house which can give the most support.

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clusters of Oxford Houses have organized themselves into mutually supportive chapters working together to expand the number of houses so that every recovering alcoholic and drug addict can gain the support of living in an Oxford House™. Each Oxford House™ has its own history but all Oxford Houses share a common history of operating in a democratic fashion on a self-supporting basis. That common history is the key to why Oxford House™ works. The System of Operations and the Oxford House Traditions contain the blue print for any Oxford House™ to work well by following a tried and true path for success. The System of Operations and Oxford House Traditions, which follow, are taken directly from the original Oxford House Manual© with very minor changes, duly noted through footnotes.

The key Oxford House™ organization is listed below. Direct any correspondence, telephone calls or e-mail to it. Its purpose is to be of help.

Oxford House World Services Office 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Telephone: 1-(301) 587-2916 Facsimile: 1-(301) 589-0302 Internet: www.oxfordhouse.org E-Mail: [email protected]

(Oxford House, Inc. is incorporated in Delaware and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.)

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Oxford House™ System of Operations

There is a frequent saying among Oxford House™ Members that "Oxford House™ has no rules except 'Don't drink.'" For the most part, that saying is true. However, it does overstate the facts.

While rules at Oxford House™ are kept at a minimum, there are nevertheless rules. Unfortunately, it is impossible for any organization to function without having some system or procedures. The basic rule for all Oxford Houses is that they must operate on a democratic basis. Each member of the House has one vote. A majority rules except in the case of accepting a new recovering alcoholic or drug addict for membership when 80% of the current membership must vote its approval.

The following discussion spells out the Oxford House System of Operations. It draws upon the experience of the existing Oxford Houses and tells any recovering alcoholic or drug addict who is interested (1) how to start an Oxford House™; (2) how to make an Oxford House™ run smoothly; (3) how to manage money in an Oxford House™.

Oxford House, Inc., is the umbrella organization for all Oxford Houses. Any group of recovering alcoholics who wants to form an Oxford House™ must obtain a charter from Oxford House, Inc. The charter confers on the particular Oxford House™ the benefits of being part of a non-profit corporation, which can offer the experience and guidance necessary for making an Oxford House™ work.

Any group of recovering alcoholics and/or drug addicts can apply for an Oxford House™ charter. Oxford House, Inc., has no hard and fast rules as to the length of sobriety required of applicants who want to charter a new house. As a general rule, however, several members of any charter group should have several months of solid sobriety.

Obtaining a Charter

Two or more recovering alcoholics can apply for a charter from Oxford House, Inc., by completing an application for a charter5 or simply writing a letter containing the pertinent information to Oxford House World Services. Pertinent information would include answers to the following questions:

1. Names of proposed charter members. 2. Length of sobriety for each proposed charter member. 3. The plans that the proposed charter group has for renting or leasing a house.4. The number of beds contemplated for use in the proposed new Oxford

House™.6

5. The anticipated charge per person per week, which would beneeded to make the House self-supporting.

5 One can get a form to apply for a charter by writing to Oxford House, Inc., 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 orby downloading a charter application form from the web site www.oxfordhouse.org by clicking “applications” under “Houses”.

6 To receive a charter the proposed house must be for a minimum of six residents. The largest Oxford House™ group to date has beeneighteen. The best size group seems to be made up of eight to twelve members. Charters are only granted for single-sex houses. There is no “co-ed” Oxford Houses. Leases with landlords should make clear that no smoking within the house is permitted and no use of decorative candles, incense or other items that represent fire hazards should be prohibited. Group safety is important.

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Once Oxford House World Services has reviewed the application or letter from the prospective charter members, they will either issue a charter or suggest additional steps for the prospective members to take in order to obtain a charter. A charter will be issued if, in the judgment of Oxford House World Services, the proposed new Oxford House™ would have a reasonable chance of success.7 All charters are issued conditionally. This means that the new group once started must demonstrate that it has learned the Oxford House system of operation sufficiently to be awarded a permanent charter.

In rare cases, Oxford House World Services will issue a charter prior to the actual acquisition of housing by the applicants. In such cases, the charter will be issued upon the condition that the charter members obtain a suitable house within a specific period of time.8

Obtaining a House The Oxford House™ philosophy is one that relies on expanding capacity rather than

limiting the length of time that a member can live in a House. To achieve sufficient capacity for providing enough rooms for all recovering alcoholics and drug addicts who want to live in an Oxford House™, it has been the custom for an established Oxford House™ to look for an additional house once it has become full and has applications which it is unable to accept because of lack of space.

The size, location and cost of a suitable house to begin an Oxford House™ depends more on what is available than any specific criteria. The charter members who are looking for a suitable house should make certain that any prospective house can be occupied without violating local zoning or health and safety laws. This does not mean that an Oxford House™ should not be considered simply as residential property. In practice Oxford House™ is no different from an ordinary family– except no one in an Oxford House™ drinks or takes mood-changing drugs and avoids fire hazards by prohibiting smoking in the house and use of candles.

As a matter of fact, most jurisdictions in the country do not have specific ordinances, which relate directly to an Oxford House™-type situation. Most group housing ordinances, if they exist at all, are geared to highly institutionalized situations. Most commercial zoning ordinances, i.e., rooming houses, apartments, or hotels or motels, are inappropriate for the Oxford House™ situation. Under the Federal Fair Housing Act local governments are required to make a reasonable accommodation for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts to live in the supportive Oxford House™ living environment.9

If the charter members have any doubt as to how their particular jurisdiction will view an Oxford House™, they should face the matter directly and clear their occupancy with the local zoning authorities. Oxford House, Inc., is willing to provide any assistance it can for the

7 The Board of Directors has delegated the decision-making authority to approve charter applications to Oxford House World Services. 8 This situation is more likely to occur when Oxford House™ is new to a geographic area. In those geographic areas where there is already anOxford House™, those wanting to start a new House are more likely to find the available house first and then apply for a Charter. Following the tradition of early Oxford Houses each house tries to match supply of Oxford House™ recovery beds with the number of applicants wanting to live in an Oxford House™. Houses in an area always work through the chapter to make sure supply and demand stay in balance. 9 The United States Supreme Court on May 15, 1995 issued a decision in City of Edmonds, WA v. Oxford House, Inc. (514 U.S. 725) whichconfirms that recovering alcoholics and drug addicts living in an Oxford House™ are “handicapped” and therefore a protected class within the meaning of the Federal Fair Housing Act, as amended, and local jurisdictions must make a reasonable accommodation to afford them living arrangements supportive of recovery. A number of subsequent federal cases have affirmed that Oxford Houses are not commercial institutions and should be treated as single families for purposes of zoning.

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purpose of persuading local authorities to treat Oxford House™ the same as it would treat any other single-family residential property within its jurisdiction.10

Common sense should be used in selecting any house, which is to be used as an Oxford House™. It should have adequate plumbing, adequate kitchen facilities, adequate laundry facilities, a sufficient number of bedrooms, and a pleasant common living space. In addition, the area should be surveyed to determine if parking of automobiles might cause a problem.

The amount of rent that a new group can afford depends on the number of beds that the house can hold. There is nothing wrong with putting more than one bed in larger rooms. New members moving into a house can be made to feel at home more easily if they share a room. Most Houses use a system of seniority for bed selection. "Old-timers" generally move into single rooms as new members move into the house. The single rooms are usually the smaller rooms in a house.

There are three reasons Oxford House™ encourages more than one to a room. First, newcomers maintain recovery better with a roommate. Loneliness continues to be a threat to sobriety and loneliness can be a problem for the newcomer adjusting to a new place to live. Second, the number of people living in a House directly affects the economics of an Oxford House™. The more people who live in a House the less each member has to pay for the House to be self-supporting. Third, roommates discourage having non-house members spending the night at an Oxford House™.

The size of the house has a direct relationship to the amount of rent a new group can afford to pay. In most areas the monthly rent will be the largest single cost for the members of a House to meet. For example, the very first Oxford House™ (Oxford House-Silver Spring)11, held 13 members. The monthly rent was $700; utilities ran about $300 a month; staples about $250 a month.12 The charge per member had been set at $30 a week. Since the House quickly became full and stayed full income exceeded expenses.13 As a matter of fact, after six months of operation the House had nearly $2,000 in the bank. It used $1,200 of that money to start a new Oxford House™ so that some of the recovering alcoholics who had applied to live in an Oxford House™ could live in one. Even today, most Oxford Houses have a backlog of applications. The tradition of some house members of an existing house helping to start a new Oxford House™ in an area continues.

As a general rule, it is easy to acquire furniture for a new House at little or no expense. Sometimes, however, it may be difficult to get beds and chests of drawers. Since beds produce the money, which makes an Oxford House™ self-sufficient, members in a new house might want to buy twin-size mattress and box springs sets. New twin-size mattresses and box springs

10 In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for example, Oxford House™ received a ruling from the Chief of the Bureau of Inspections that it is within thedefinition of "Family" as defined in the City Zoning Code. As a practical matter most jurisdictions so appreciate the useful service provided by an Oxford House™ that it is considered to have a "family" classification.

11 Oxford House-Silver Spring was opened October 25, 1975 and continued to be an Oxford House™ until the end of 1984. It was located at1219 Fiddler Lane, Silver Spring, Maryland. The building was razed to make way for another building in 1986.

12 The first Oxford House™ and most subsequent Houses have bought milk, potatoes, spices, flour, coffee, bread, eggs and bacon on a groupbasis. Individual members get their own meals – either individually or as groups – but use the "staples" as needed. Note also that the figures used above are 1975 dollars or about one-half comparable l987 dollars or one-third 2000 dollars.

13 By late spring a surplus of nearly $2,000 was in the House treasury. The members met to decide whether to lower their weekly payment orto use the surplus to open a new House. They chose to open a new House in Washington, DC in May 1976.

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cost between $90 to $120 per unit. Thrift stores, Good Will or Salvation Army often have chests of drawers at a reasonable price. The first and most effective way to get furniture, however, is to ask for it from AA members. Often they are up-grading their own furnishing and are pleased to give their old furniture to an Oxford House™.

Other start up costs often includes a month's rent in advance and a security deposit equal to one month's rent. New Houses often get a loan from AA members or other Oxford Houses in order to meet this expense. Whenever a loan is obtained the members of the new House should agree to pay it back according to a definite schedule – at least $100 a month until it is repaid.14 The good name of Oxford House™ is at stake whenever any House has a loan outstanding. Therefore, it is important to make payments on the loan on a regular basis.

Membership The charter members of a new Oxford House™ constitute a basic core of membership

for the House. Once the House has started, the charter members will want to bring in enough new members so as to fill all available beds. The higher the occupancy rate, the lower the rent, which must be paid by each Oxford House™ member.

One of the requirements under an Oxford House™ charter is that new members must be approved by 80% of the existing members in a particular House. An approval by 80% of the existing members is required because it is extremely important that all of the members living in an Oxford House™ feel comfortable with any newcomer. As a practical matter existing Oxford Houses have denied membership to very few individuals. Most members of Oxford House™ keep their memory green and few applicants are excluded from membership. Those who are excluded are generally excluded because there are no beds available15. A waiting list is maintained, but it is of little value after a period of time because when a person needs a room, he must get one immediately. On the other hand, the waiting list can become a useful resource for getting new members to help form another House.16 The waiting list also is a ready resource for filling vacancies as members move out to live elsewhere in the community or are evicted because of a relapse to drinking or taking drugs.

Oxford House™ works well for men and for women. However, it has been the experience of Oxford House™ that it does not work well with men and women in the same House.17 Relationships are bound to develop and will unnecessarily complicate the comfortable operation of an Oxford House™.

14 This is also true of loans received from a state revolving loan fund. Repayments on time is a must because it allows other groups to starthouses and helps expand the opportunities for recovering individuals to stay clean and sober without relapse. State loans are usually $4,000 and are repaid at $170 a month for 24 months. 15 Not everyone is suited for living in an Oxford House but the existing members should never exclude anyone simply because of race, creedor a disability co-occurring with addiction to alcohol or other addictive drugs unless such disability would make it difficult for an individual to function in an Oxford House. For example, being HIV positive does not – in and of itself – preclude successful Oxford House membership because absent unprotected sex or needle sharing HIV or AIDS is not contagious and hundreds of recovering individuals afflicted by HIV or AIDS are and have been successful Oxford House residents. Also hundreds of recovering individuals with co-occurring mental illnesses or physical disabilities have been – and are – successful Oxford House residents. In considering whether an applicant will make a suitable Oxford House resident the group conscience should always error on the side of providing any recovering individual a chance to benefit from Oxford House living. In other words, if the group believes the individual has exhibited a sincere desire to develop sobriety comfortable enough to avoid relapse, pay an equal share of household expenses and help others in recovery, the applicant should be accepted if space is available. 16 Once an Oxford House™ has been established for a few months, there will soon be more applicants than there are beds available. Thesituation soon causes the members living in the House to start looking for an additional house to rent.

17 In 1978, Oxford House™ opened a House intended for women but started with a core group of four men from an existing Oxford House™.After eight women moved into the House, the four men moved out with the expectation that their spaces would be filled by the women

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When a new Oxford House™ is established, the charter members of the House should make themselves known to quarterway houses, halfway houses, detoxification units, drug courts, rehabilitation facilities, AA groups and NA groups within the area. Included among those items which should be stressed are that the House is democratically run; it is self-supporting; drinking or the taking of drugs is not permitted; and that both the new and not-so-new recovering alcoholics are welcome to come and live at the House as long as they do not drink or take drugs and pay their equal share of household expenses. Oxford House™ is not in competition with any of these groups. It is a resource for them to use in the common goal of helping the alcoholic avoid relapses. Many of these groups will become supporters of Oxford House™ and will refer new members to the House. Remember to explain that a new member must file an application, and be interviewed and approved by 80% of the members living in Oxford House™.

Once an Oxford House™ has been established for a few months, applications for membership will exceed the space available. At that point in time, consideration should be given to opening a new Oxford House™ using some of the current members as a core group for the new House.18 Generally, a few members in a House will begin thinking about opening another House in response to a House's inability to accept all the deserving applicants. They will discuss the matter at a House meeting and everyone will begin to look for a suitable additional house to rent. When such a house is found several existing members will volunteer to become the core group for a new House. The existing House begins to figure out ways to come up with the necessary money for starting the new House and checks with applicants to see if they would be willing to live in the new House. This is the way that Oxford House™ is able to comfortably exist with the principle of letting members live in an Oxford House™ for as long as they want provided they do not drink or use drugs and pay their rent.

Rules Alcoholics and drug addicts by nature seem to dislike rules. There is only one rule

applicable to all Oxford Houses; i.e. membership is conditioned on not drinking. It is impossible for a house of recovering alcoholics to stay sober if even one person is permitted to drink or take drugs. The presence of a practicing alcoholic among those who are trying to stay sober invites other relapses. As a matter of self-preservation it is necessary for the membership of an Oxford House™ to confront the relapsing member immediately. A meeting of the House should be held and if a majority of the members believe that a member is drinking or taking drugs that member should be asked to leave.

The rule relating to the use of alcohol or drugs grows out of common sense. That rule is the only rule considered mandatory once a group of recovering alcoholics has received an Oxford House™ charter. Other rules will tend to evolve from the membership of the House itself. Those rules should come into being only if they are absolutely necessary. The fewer the rules, the more likely it will be that a house will be successful. Different Houses will tend to

accepting four additional women. Instead the women accepted four additional men as replacements and the House began to have problems. A number of relationships evolved between the men and women and soon a number of the members had returned to drinking. Oxford House, Inc. closed the House and reopened it as a House for men. It was clear then and continues to be clear today that men and women living in the same house operating under the self-support system of Oxford House™ creates an unnecessary additional stress to group living. All women Oxford Houses work well; all men Oxford Houses work well; Houses with both men and women do not work and will not be granted a charter by Oxford House, Inc.

18 In the first Oxford House™– Oxford House - Silver Spring– members felt confident enough after six months to start another House. Theystarted the first house in Washington, DC by having four of the thirteen members in the original house move to form a core membership for the new House.

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have different rules. For example, one Oxford House™ has a rule that requires unanimous consent before any pet can be brought onto the premises. Another Oxford House™ has two cats and a dog and would probably require unanimous consent before either the cat or the dog could be evicted.

In many alcoholic rehabilitation units, there are rules covering a multitude of activities. Those rules include curfew hours; clean-up details; mandatory attendance at AA or NA meetings; and other rules almost inherent in institutional living. Oxford House™ is not an institution. It is more analogous to a family. However, certain rules may be required to assure an equitable distribution of the work in keeping the house clean and at times there may be the need for rules to keep some individuals from disrupting other individuals.19

Since the success of an Oxford House™ depends on having enough income to meet expenses, it is important that members pay their equal share of household expenses in a timely manner. Rules may be required that force the eviction of members who do not keep their equal share of household expenses up to date. All members should be encouraged to pay their share of household expenses at least one week in advance. The weekly house meeting becomes the idea time to discuss any resident that is not up-to-date in paying the equal share of household expenses. It helps neither the individual resident nor the house group to let anyone get behind.

Officers For an Oxford House™ to run successfully on a democratic basis, it must have certain

elected officers. It is part of the Oxford House tradition to make sure that officers do not become so entrenched that other members of the house do not have an equal voice in its management. Therefore, it is an Oxford House tradition that no officer shall serve longer than six months in the same office for one continuous period of time.20 All officers are but trusted servants of the entire membership. The number of officers may vary from House to House but all Houses generally have the following elected officers:

❏ President ❏ Treasurer ❏ Secretary ❏ Comptroller ❏ Coordinator

The election of both a treasurer and comptroller emphasizes the importance each Oxford House™ places on money management. The two officers are able to divide rent collection and help each other with the payment of bills. Houses elect a "Coordinator" to help schedule daily and weekly work details to keep the house clean – inside and outside.

The election of officers is necessary because they provide the leadership for the House to work well. The officers can serve continuously for only six months in any particular office, i.e. after an intervening six-month period an individual can be re-elected to an office in which he or she has already served. The duties of the various officers are to keep Oxford House™

19 For example, if a resident’s non-attendance at AA or NA meetings is causing problems – for the individual or the house – the residents mayvote at a meeting to require meeting attendance as a condition of living in the house. In this situation the “group conscience” should be the determining factor. It is guided by the fact that the welfare of the house must always come first. Long-term recovery is the primary reason for the house to exist.

20 See Tradition Two.

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running smoothly, conduct regular meetings of the House membership, assure that the Oxford House Traditions are followed, and keep the finances of the House in good order.

Meetings It is important to have a House meeting at least once a week. After some

experimenting, an Oxford House™ will find the particular hour or half-hour, which is the most convenient for most of its members. A meeting should be used to:

report on the current financial status of the House; consider new applications for membership; resolve any problem affecting members in the House; resolve general complaints about maintenance of

the house; and consider proposals or projects to be undertaken by

the House.A special meeting should be called, just as soon as possible, whenever there is any

suspicion that a member is drinking or taking drugs. Such meeting are the most difficult of any held in an Oxford House™. Some Houses have decided to use three of the elected officers as a screening committee for determining if an individual has violated the rule against drinking or taking drugs. In such cases, the screening committee makes its report to the full membership of the House for their consideration. The individual suspected of violating the rule against drinking or taking drugs should be directly confronted with the facts leading to the suspicion. The membership of the House then must vote on whether or not the facts support the conclusion that a member has violated the rule.

The decision by the House membership should be viewed simply as a factual determination. If a majority of the House membership, attending the special meeting, believes that the individual did in fact drink or take drugs, expulsion of that member is automatic.

The Secretary should take notes about what takes place at each House meeting. The notes of the previous meeting should be read at the beginning of the next meeting so that all the members can agree with the record of what the House had previously determined. If the Secretary has made a mistake in recording what had happened, it should be corrected and the minutes of the meeting should be made a permanent record of the House. The Secretary should also verify that he or she has logged onto the website: www.oxfordhouse.org to update vacancy information for the house.21 The next item of business should be the report on House finances by the Treasurer. That report should include (a) the amount of the bills outstanding, (b) the cash on hand, (c) member's rent paid in advance, and (d) member's rent due. To the extent possible the Treasurer should project what the House finances are likely to be over the next month. Take into account the expectation of any large utility bills or unusual expenses.

The House meeting should then take up new applications and listen to each member who has met or talked to the applicant. A vote should be taken on each applicant whether or not space is available. If the applicant is rejected he or she should be told right after the meeting. If the applicant is accepted, and space is available, he or she should be informed as to when to move in and given a copy of the manual so as to understand how Oxford House™

21 Keeping vacancies accurate on the website is essential if a house is to have any creditability with treatment providers, drug court judges orthe recovery community. The newcomer relies upon accurate vacancy data and every house should make sure that the Secretary updates the website at least once a week.

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works. If the applicant is accepted, but no space is immediately available, he or she should be put on a waiting list and told his or her prospects of getting in. Each new member should be told that the completed application constitutes agreement to follow the rules of the House.

Meetings also include the wide range of decisions facing an Oxford House™ from purchases of wastebaskets to plans for opening a new House. The House meeting is the place to resolve any conflicts, which arise from living together as a group. It is also a good place to pass on information about new AA or NA meetings or up-coming AA/NA related events. Staying sober and enjoying life is at the heart of Oxford House™ living.

Money Oxford House™ is built on the principle of self-help. When it comes to money matters,

this simply means that any House must operate from its rent receipts. There may be exceptions when a House is first getting started. After a few weeks or months, a new Oxford House™ should be able to pay all of its operating expenses out of its equal share of household expenses.

Some expenses associated with an Oxford House™ are not controllable after a commitment has been made to begin a House. For example, the monthly rental payment will be a fixed amount. In addition, utilities (electric, gas or oil, telephone and often water) will for the most part be fixed expenses. One area where expenses are controllable involves the purchase of food and supplies. All expenses, whether fixed or controllable, must be carefully watched so that any member at any time can know the exact financial condition of the House. Particular attention must be paid to the telephone expenses. Each member should pay for his or her own long distance calls. Usually the Comptroller is responsible to see that the members pay their share of the telephone bill promptly so that the House is not faced with an unwanted and unwarranted expense.22

The President, the Treasurer, and Comptroller all have a responsibility for making certain that accurate records are maintained showing expenses and income of the House. Every Oxford House™ should have its own checking account and make certain to run all income and outgo through the checking account as the main control point for keeping track of money flow. The very first thing a new Oxford House™ does is to establish a checking account. At least three officers of the House should be authorized to sign checks with two signatures required on each check in order for it to be valid. Promptly deposit member's rent in the checking account and pay all bills by check.23 That is the easiest and safest way to assure good record keeping. Do not use electronic payment except for start-up loan repayment and contributions to Oxford House World Services.

Each Oxford House™ should maintain (1) a membership ledger; (2) a cash receipts journal and (3) a cash expenses journal. The Treasurer is responsible for keeping these records and for posting the "Weekly Financial Status Report".

22 As a general rule an Oxford House™ gets a telephone for the house that has long-distance and other toll lines blocked. If residents want tomake long-distance calls they can get a debit card (Sprint, MCI etc.) that prepays for long distance calls. Do not have long-distance or toll service on a telephone used by the group. After a house is established for some time, residents may want to get their own individual telephone – which is agreeable to most houses.23 Sometimes petty cash is useful for buying the staples the House will use. Usually petty cash is less than $100 and can be run through thechecking account by making out a check for "cash". Receipts should then be kept for purchases made out of petty cash and on a weekly basis the Treasurer should balance the cash against the receipts in the petty cash fund. The Treasurer is usually the person who has control over the petty cash and pays individual members who make the purchases of staples for the House. A separate little book for petty cash is useful to maintain showing income and outgo. A small amount of petty cash is a good idea because checks for only a few dollars can become expensive when the bank charges for checks written.

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The "Weekly Financial Status Report" lets everyone in the House know exactly the current financial condition of the House. It shows:

money on hand on the week before; money on hand that week; bills paid during the last week; bills due during the current week; bills due by the end of the current month; member's rent paid in advance (total dollars); member's rent behind (total dollars) and list status of individual members (paid in advance,

up-to-date and behind) by member.24

The Treasurer and Comptroller are the two officers primarily responsible for assuring sound financial management for an Oxford House™. Together with the President, they should continually check and crosscheck the books so as to assure the accuracy of the true financial status of the House. At each weekly meeting, a report should be made to the full membership of the House for the membership to determine whether the equal share of household expenses is correct and to decide if a member is too delinquent in paying to continue in the house.

Oxford House, Inc. Oxford House, Inc., serves as an umbrella, non-profit corporation for all the Oxford

Houses, which have or will be given a charter. It is incorporated in the State of Delaware and is recognized as qualifying under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The sole purpose of the umbrella organization is to serve the Oxford House™ movement. Each Oxford House™ has an equal voice in running Oxford House, Inc, which is consistent with the principle that each resident has an equal voice in the running of an individual Oxford House™.

Oxford House, Inc. is authorized to provide charters for individual Oxford Houses and operates a central services office to help existing houses stay on track and to help start new houses. It is made up of World Council and a Board of Directors.

The World Council Nine Oxford House™ residents are elected by vote of all of the Oxford Houses to serve

staggered three-year terms as members of the Oxford House World Council. Three alumni members of Oxford House™ are also elected to the 12-member World Council. Elections for one-third of the members are held each year at the annual Oxford House Convention. Meetings of the Oxford House World Council are held six times a year. Various committees of the World Council are established to address policy areas important to the worldwide network of Oxford Houses. The Chairperson of the World Council serves as a member of the Oxford House Board of Directors to assure that the corporation’s services are consistent with the policies of the individual houses reflected by actions of the World Council.

The Board of Directors The Oxford House Board of Directors oversees the well being of Oxford House, Inc. –

the umbrella 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of the national network of individual Oxford Houses. One quarter of the Board members are alumni or resident members of Oxford Houses. The Board guides the external finances used for expansion and network maintenance.

24 There are no "secrets" in an Oxford House™. Members need to know whether the House is living on "borrowed money" (from rents paid inadvance) or whether members are falling behind in rent in order to know how much needs to be charged for a House to be financially sound.

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Recovery, Responsibility, Replication

The Oxford House logo is comprised of the reverse triangle, symbolizing the “bottom up”

structure of the Oxford House Inc. organization, and the principles surrounding our work.

The first Tradition of Oxford House states “that Oxford House has as its primary goal the provision of housing

and rehabilitative support for the alcoholic and addict that wants to stop using or drinking.” Oxford House combines

Recovery, Responsibility, and Replication to enable each of our members to live free of the disasters of drug and/or

alcohol addiction. How you use it will make a difference in your own recovery and the stability of the house.

The simple key factors of the Oxford concepts, and house charter requirements, which can ensure your success are:

1. Pay your share of expenses on time.

2. Do not use drugs or alcohol in or out of the house.

3. Share in the democratic procedures of the house

Each house is guided by the simple guidelines of our manual, traditions, and the individual house set of rules

and expectations. You are expected to read these and familiarize yourself with them. If you have any questions a house

member will explain them.

RECOVERY

Each member is responsible for his or her own plan of recovery. This should include completing your

treatment plan (if applicable), participating in a 12‐Step program or related recovery program, and using an outside

sponsor or your housemates to help you. Healthy recovery is about change. This means making an effort to change

your old behaviors. You may be asked to write out a plan for your recovery when you move into the house. Many of

the houses may require that you attend a certain number of meetings weekly. Many years of research has shown that

our successful members attend four to five AA or NA meetings weekly. All of our guidelines have been designed to

support you in your recovery and to ensure a healthy home.

RESPONSIBILITY

Each house holds weekly business meetings. As a member you will participate in these meetings, have full voting rights, and may even be elected by the other members to hold an office. House Officers are elected every six

months. Your house will help you learn the procedure of their Oxford House meetings. We encourage you to learn the

duties of each House Officer, learn the Oxford House Traditions, and to read the Oxford House Manual. You will be

expected to pay your share of expenses on time, to complete your assigned chores, to follow your plan of recovery, and

to abide by the house rules. You may be asked to fill out some forms. Please do so as soon as possible. As you grow in

your recovery, and comfort level in the house, you can help other new members. Your growth will be enhanced by

your willingness to participate.

REPLICATION

As you grow in your Oxford House experience, you may be asked to share your experience at treatment centers and other agencies. You may have the opportunity to assist in the opening of a new house. This has many

aspects to it, such as recruiting new members, sending out fliers, finding household donations, and teaching the new

house how Oxford Houses work. We are happy you have been chosen to be a member of a house and share in all of our

recoveries. You will be joining a family of tens of thousands of people from around the world that currently live by the

Oxford House Traditions, Principles, and System of Operations. Oxford House is a time‐tested model with decades of

experience helping hundreds of thousands of successful recovering alcoholic and addicts. Oxford House allows you to

stay as long as you like, as long as you do not go back to using drugs and alcohol, and abide by the guidelines. Your

success depends on your own honesty, open mindedness, and willingness to change, and share your recovery.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When an emergency meeting is held to vote on whether to expel a member, does the member in question have the right to attend the meeting and vote?

A. Yes. In a democratically run Oxford House, every member has the right to vote. Even if there is suspicion of use or

evidence of disruptive behavior, the member in question has the right to be present and has a vote. Emergency

meetings should not be held without the member in question, unless the member cannot attend within a reasonable

period of time.

Q. When a member moves out, and has paid their EES in advance for the week or month, when is the house obligated

to return their money?

A. The house has thirty days to return the unused portion of EES to a mailing address provided by the member.

Q. Can a house keep an expelled member’s belongings to pay for any expenses they owe?

A. No. Houses cannot legally keep belongings in lieu of unpaid EES. A reasonable period of time must be given to the

expelled member to retrieve their belongings. They can be moved to another part of the house as to allow access to

living space for another member. It is a good idea to send a return requested letter to the last known address for the

expelled member telling them that if the belongings are not picked up within a period of time they will be donated to

charity. The return requested letter will help protect the house if the expelled member decides to sue for their

belongings.

Q. How should a house help a member that is behind on their EES or showing disruptive behaviors?

A. This should be decided by the group conscience of the house in a meeting with the member in question. Issues like

disruptive behavior and nonpayment of EES should be addressed as soon as possible. A “Contract” can be written

between the member and the house that stipulates the exact nature of the problem and what the house expects from the

member to correct it. Remember to keep the principles of recovery above the personalities of individuals.

Q. Oxford House Inc. is 501c3 tax exempt nonprofit as recognized by the IRS. Does this mean that individual Oxford

Houses don’t have to pay sales tax on purchases?

A. No the tax exempt status for Oxford House Inc. means that it does not pay Federal income taxes for contributions it

receives. This does not affect the individual houses obligation to pay local sales taxes.

Q. Can members have locks on their bedroom doors?

A. No. Boarding Houses have locks on doors because people rent rooms and don’t participate in the management of

the house. Oxford Houses are run by the residents and act as a family with the residents share the entire house. Locks

are intended to mean dead bolts, padlocks, or any hardware that is not part of the doorknob, for privacy when the

member is in the room.

Q. Can a member of an Oxford House take prescribed narcotics while living at the house?

A. There may be occasions when a resident has a medical need for narcotic medication. Every effort should be made to

find a nonnarcotic alternative. If narcotic medication becomes necessary, the house’s group conscience should consider

if this might trigger or have a negative effect on any member’s recovery. It is suggested that the member having to take the narcotic have a letter from their doctor acknowledging that they are aware of the individual’s addiction and that

there is no other alternative treatment. Certain safety measures should be taken such as a lock box for the member to

keep their medication safe and accountability that the member is taking the medication as prescribed. Any sharing,

selling or stealing of the medication is grounds for expulsion.

Q. What should a house do if a city inspector shows up or tries to contact the house?

A. Ask the inspector to contact Oxford House Inc. at (301) 587-2916 before inspecting the house.

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Oxford House Traditions 1. Oxford House™ has as its primary goal the provision of housing andrehabilitative support for the alcoholic who wants to stop drinking or using and stay stopped.

2. All Oxford Houses are run on a democratic basis. Our officers are buttrusted servants serving continuous periods of no longer than six months in any one office.

3. No Member of an Oxford House™ is ever asked to leave without cause – adismissal vote by the membership because of drinking, drug using, or disruptive behavior.

4. Oxford House™ is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous,organizationally or financially, but Oxford House members realize that only active participation in Alcoholics Anonymous offers assurance of continued sobriety.

5. Each Oxford House™ should be autonomous except in matters affectingother houses or Oxford House, Inc., as a whole.

6. Each Oxford House™ should be financially self-supporting althoughfinancially secure houses may, with approval or encouragement of Oxford House, Inc., provide new or financially needy houses a loan for a term not to exceed one year.

7. Oxford House™ should remain forever non-professional, althoughindividual members may be encouraged to utilize outside professionals whenever such utilization is likely to enhance recovery from alcoholism.

8. Propagation of the Oxford House, Inc. concept should always be conceivedas public education rather than promotion. Principles should always be placed before personalities.

9. Members who leave an Oxford House™ in good standing are encouragedto become associate members and offer friendship, support, and example, to newer members.

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TRADITION ONE

Oxford House™ has as its primary goal the provision of housing and rehabilitative support for the alcoholic and drug addict who wants to stop drinking or using drugs and stay stopped.

By the time many of us had stopped drinking, we had lost jobs; we had lost families, and some of us either had no place to live or no place to live which was not an invitation to start drinking again. Oxford House™ was founded not only to put a roof over our head, but also to create a home where the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction was understood and the need for the alcoholic and drug addict to stay away from the first drink or drug fix was emphasized.

Oxford House™ is group housing. The bond that holds the group together is the desire to stop drinking or using drugs and to stay stopped. Modest rooms and living facilities can become luxurious suites when viewed from an environment of alcoholics and drug addicts working together for comfortable sobriety.

When we stopped drinking or using drugs, we began to realize that in order to stay stopped, our lives would need to change. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous provided a framework for us to change physically, mentally, and spiritually. The degree to which we were able to successfully change our lives had a direct relationship to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Many of us soon learned, however, that living alone or living among our old drinking companions made it more difficult to practice the principles necessary for continued sobriety.

Some of us had lived for a time in alcoholic and drug rehabilitation facilities. Those facilities provided us with shelter, food, and therapy for understanding alcoholism and addiction. Initially, the structure and supervision of such facilities were acceptable because physically and mentally, we were exhausted. Later, some of us were to move into halfway houses, which provided shelter, food, and supervision. As our recovery progressed, the supervision and dependency on a halfway house created dissatisfaction. The dissatisfaction was in part the realization that we were shirking responsibility for our own lives and in part a resentment of authority. The third factor affecting us both in the rehabilitation facilities and the halfway houses was the realization that the duration of our stay must be limited because space must be made for others in need of help.

Oxford House™ grew out of the need for many of us to begin a new life without fear of backsliding because of loneliness leading to renewed dependency on former drinking companions or drug dealers. Throughout its tradition, Oxford House™ has combined the concepts of self-support and responsibility with a fellowship having the common purpose of continued and comfortable sobriety. Oxford House™ must always have as its primary goal the provision of housing and rehabilitative support for the alcoholic who wants to stop drinking and stay stopped and the drug addict who wants to stop using drugs and stay stopped.

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TRADITION TWO

All Oxford Houses are run on a democratic basis. Our officers are but trusted servants serving continuous periods of no longer than six months in any one office.

During the last days of our drinking or using drugs, most of us ceased to function as responsible individuals. We were not only dependent upon alcohol and/or drugs, but were also dependent on many others for continuing our alcoholic and/or drug addicted ways. When we stopped drinking or using drugs, we began to realize just how dependent we had become. For those of us who had been in institutions or halfway houses, resentments against authority were common.

A major part of the Oxford House philosophy is that dependency is best overcome through an acceptance of responsibility. In Oxford House™, each member equally shares the responsibility for the running of the House and upholding the Oxford House tradition. All aspects of Oxford House operations, from the acquisition of the house to the acceptance or dismissal of members, are carried out under democratic procedures. Each member has one vote and majority rule applies except that 80% of the members must agree in accepting new persons for membership.

During our drinking and drug use years, and even before, many of us found it difficult to accept authority. Many individuals in society are able to abide by the strict letter of any rule, regulation, or law. Alcoholics and drug addicts seem to have a tendency to test and retest the validity of any real, potential, or imagined restriction on their behavior. As alcoholics and drug addicts, we became experts at outwitting "the system." As recovering alcoholics and recovering drug addicts, it has become important for us to learn how to live, without the use of alcohol or drugs, within a society– which relies on a wide variety of rules.

By running Oxford House™ on a democratic basis, members of Oxford House become able to accept the authority of the group because the group is a peer group. Each member has an equal voice in the group and each has an opportunity to relearn responsibility and to accept decisions once they are made.

The opportunity for a house to democratically function requires periodic meetings within the house – at least once a week. Such meetings should be used to resolve any operational or personality problems facing the house.

Any group, in order to function effectively, needs leaders. Misguided leaders can create dependency and usurp self-responsibility. Oxford House™ should rely on democratically chosen leaders, but the leaders must always be but trusted servants. To discourage an excessive dependence on leaders, it is a principle of Oxford House™ that no member should serve in the same office for a continuous period of longer than six months.

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TRADITION THREE No member of an Oxford House™ is ever asked to leave without cause – a dismissal vote by the membership because of drinking, drug use, or disruptive behavior.

During early recovery for alcoholism and drug addiction, some members had to leave an institution in order to make room for an alcoholic or drug addict just beginning the recovery process. Other members were asked to leave halfway houses in order to make room for a recovering alcoholic or recovering drug addict who was ready to move into a halfway house. Only the very fortunate are able to make such a transition upon demand. Each individual recovers from alcoholism or drug addiction at a different pace. All too often, an abrupt transition from a protected environment to an environment, which places considerable glamour on the use of alcohol and drugs, causes a return to alcoholic drinking or addictive drug use.

There is no reason to believe that society as a whole has the responsibility to provide long-term housing within a protected environment for the alcoholic and drug addict. However, there is every reason to believe that recovering alcoholics and drug addicts can do for themselves that which society, as a whole has no responsibility to do for them. Oxford House™ is built on the premise of expanding in order to meet the needs of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. This principle contrasts sharply with the principle of providing the alcoholic or drug addict with assistance for a limited time period in order to make room for a more recently recovering alcoholic or drug addict.

One of the greatest threats to the sobriety of a recovering alcoholic or drug addict is loneliness. At a time when we acquired a serious desire to stop drinking or using drugs, many of us had lost our families and friends because of our alcoholism and/or drug addiction. Too often, newly recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are faced with the necessity of living alone and of relying solely on contacts with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to stay sober. Some are able to keep from drinking in spite of the loneliness with which they were faced. Others are not so fortunate. The alcoholic or drug addict alone begins to compare himself to those members of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous who still have family and friends. Loneliness and self-pity soon lead such individuals back to alcoholic drinking or drug use. With Oxford House™ there is no need for a recovering individual to live in an environment dominated by loneliness.

The only members who will ever be asked to leave an Oxford House™ are those who return to drinking, use drugs, or have disruptive behavior, including the nonpayment of an equal share of household expenses. No Oxford House™ can tolerate the use of alcohol or drugs by one of its members because that threatens the sobriety of all of the members. Neither can an Oxford House™ function if some do not pay their fair share of the costs.

It is obvious why Oxford House™ must strongly protect the sobriety of its other members by asking the drinking member or member using drugs to leave. The line between an Oxford House™ of recovering alcoholics or drug addicts and an Oxford House™ of active alcoholics or drug addicts is a thin one. A member's tenure is absolutely secure in an Oxford House™ as long as he does not drink or use drugs and keeps his share of household expenses up to date and is not disruptive.

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TRADITION FOUR Oxford House™ is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, organizationally or financially, but Oxford House members realize that only active participation in Alcoholics Anonymous and/or Narcotics Anonymous offers assurance of continued sobriety. Every Oxford House member attributes his sobriety to Alcoholics Anonymous

and/or Narcotics Anonymous. Each Oxford House member, as an individual, considers himself a member of AA and/or NA. Without that, sobriety would be short-lived.

As individual members of Alcoholics Anonymous, Oxford House members are keenly aware of the Sixth Tradition of AA, which is:

An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from out primary purpose.

In deference to that tradition, Oxford House™ has never sought nor obtained sponsorship from any AA or NA group. Oxford House members value the Sixth Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous (and Narcotics Anonymous) too greatly for themselves to try to get either movement deeply involved in the organizing, financing, or sponsorship of any Oxford House™. However, Oxford House members firmly believe that the Oxford House concept can expand as an independent entity, while fully utilizing the benefits of Alcoholics Anonymous and/or Narcotics Anonymous.

In fact, Oxford House™ creates an environment whereby each member can more fully realize the benefits available from active AA or NA membership. A house full of sober, recovering alcoholics and drug addicts invites informal AA or NA "meetings after the meeting" and each day finds many informal AA or NA meetings before individual members each go off to their regular AA or NA meeting.

An underlying principle of Oxford House™ is that each individual member has the ability to be responsible for himself. Living within an Oxford House™ provides both the opportunity and motivation for all residents to regularly attend AA and/or NA meetings. The example of Oxford House members going to AA or NA meetings on their own is contagious. It has been the experience of Oxford House™ that participation in AA and NA is extremely high in an environment where one individual can see another individual, with the same disease, reaping great benefits from AA and/or NA participation.25

As an organization Oxford House™ is not part of AA or NA. However, the members of Oxford House™ have found only by being active in AA and/or NA have they found comfortable, long-term sobriety – for themselves and the Oxford House™ in which they live.

25 If a resident’s non-attendance at AA or NA meetings is causing problems – for the individual or the house – the residents may vote at ameeting to make meeting attendance for a particular member a condition of living in the house. In this situation the “group conscience” should be the determining factor. It is guided by the fact that the welfare of the house must always come first.

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TRADITION FIVE

Each Oxford House™ should be autonomous except in matters affecting other houses or Oxford House, Inc., as a whole.

Each Oxford House™ is self-supporting and self-run. The members of an Oxford House™ assume full responsibility for the operation of the House. The House is theirs and in no way is it part of any other organization. The members themselves in a democratic fashion determine the equal share of household expenses that is charged the members. The rules, which govern the house, are for the most part also made by those who live in a particular Oxford House™26 Such autonomy is essential for the Oxford House system to work.

The reason that each Oxford House™ is independent arises from the very practical consideration that those who are closest to a situation are best able to manage it. If an Oxford House™ follows the democratic principles and traditions of Oxford House, Inc., it should have no difficulty in running smoothly. Those democratic principles will also enable the members of a particular Oxford House™ to take pride in their newfound responsibility.

The charter of each Oxford House™ requires that an Oxford House™ meet certain minimum requirements of Oxford House, Inc. First of all, no Oxford House™ may permit individuals to remain as members if those individuals are drinking or using drugs. Second, an Oxford House™ must follow the democratic principles in running the house. Third, an Oxford House™ must, in essence be a good member of the community by obeying the laws and paying its bills.

Failure to adhere to any of these three requirements would bring the entire Oxford House concept into question. Therefore, it is important that each Oxford House™ meet these minimum responsibilities in order for its charter to be continued.27 Oxford Houses are both autonomous and self-supporting. All Oxford Houses have been careful to avoid undue dependence on government or other outside funds.

Each local Oxford House™ votes annually in convention to elect the national Oxford House World Council. In fact, nine members of the Oxford House World Council not only are elected by all the individual Oxford Houses but also must be a resident of an Oxford House when they are elected. Three of the World Council members are alumni and are elected by the houses and the alumni in attendance at the annual world convention. The organization was deliberately set up to assure that each Oxford House™ is autonomous and that overall policy of the Oxford House movement reflects the will of the majority of individual Oxford Houses.

26Rules against anyone living in an Oxford House™ who uses alcohol or drugs are universal with all houses. For obvious reasons, anindividual house cannot establish different rules in this regard because such rules would run entirely counter to the primary purpose and functions of the Oxford House System.

27At this point in the text the original Oxford House Traditions, which were written when the first Oxford House™ began in the Fall of 1975,stated: "At this time, it also appears that Oxford Houses can be totally self-supporting. By that, we mean that a minimum amount of government support or private support may be accepted for start-up purposes." Some states have recovery house revolving loan funds to help a new house get started. This grew out of §2036 of PL 100-690, the federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, and has served as an important catalyst for the expansion of Oxford Houses.

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TRADITION SIX Each Oxford House™ should be financially self-supporting although financially secure houses may, with approval or encouragement of Oxford House, Inc., provide new or financially needy houses a loan for a term not to exceed one year. Oxford House™ was built on the unique concept that its members should try to

expand the number of beds available – rather than turn existing members out of the house after a set period of time. In carrying out that concept, Oxford House-Silver Spring, shortly after it was six months old, put up over $1,200 in order to start Oxford House-Washington. Later Oxford House-Washington did the same for the start-up of another House. From the beginning, existing Oxford Houses helped new ones get started. Once a new House gets on its feet, it pays back the older Houses, which had loaned it money, and stands ready to help another new House.28

When an Oxford House™ first starts, it is generally necessary for the members to pay a slightly higher rent than what they pay once the House is established. There are two reasons for this pattern. First, there are start-up costs associated with the beginning of any new house such as security deposits, supplies and furnishings.29 Second, when a House first starts it takes some time to fill all the beds. As all the available beds in a House become full the members can decide whether to lower the equal share of household expenses or begin to develop a small surplus. As a practical matter, most houses choose to have a surplus of one month's expenses. Once having obtained that surplus, it then decides whether to lower the weekly equal share of household expenses or to accumulate money for the beginning of a new house – or to do both.

Starting new Houses through the mutual assistance of existing Oxford Houses is a tradition because each House was started with the help of existing Houses and tends to pass on to others that which they received. Once more applications are received than there are beds available, the members of any Oxford House™ will begin to look around for another suitable house. When they find such a house they will bring it up with the other existing Houses and if there is a consensus they will attempt to find the start up money and members to fill the new house. Often several members of an existing House will move into the new House to provide a core group of new members who already know how an Oxford House™ works.

Oxford House, Inc. acts as the coordinating body for providing charters for the opening of new Oxford Houses. It also acts as the coordinating body to help individual houses to organize mutually supportive chapters. Through chapters individual houses are able to share their experience, strength and hope with each other to assure compliance with the Oxford House concept and its respected standardized system of operations.

28 Numerous Oxford Houses have been opened since 1975. Some operate for several years and then, because of expiration of a lease,dissatisfaction with the facilities, or simply the finding of a better location, the members of a particular House will move into a new location. Other Houses often help that type of move as well as the start-up of new Oxford Houses. In both cases, financial assistance is in the form of a loan having a pay back schedule, not to exceed one year, defined up front. (Since 1989, many new Oxford Houses have taken advantage of state revolving loan programs. Repayment from those start-up loans assures the continuation of the revolving fund to enable other new houses to get started – just as repayment of loans to chapters permits the same resources to be used again and again.)

29 For example, the landlord and phone company may require a security deposit and, while furnishings are generally donated, members willoften have to rent a truck in order to pick them up. There may also be a need to buy more "staples” such as flour, sugar, coffee, cleaning supplies, etc. when a new House starts up.

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TRADITION SEVEN Oxford House™ should remain forever non-professional, although individual members may be encouraged to utilize outside professionals whenever such utilization is likely to enhance recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction.

It is inconsistent with the Oxford House system of democratic rule to have a professional manager of Oxford House™. Likewise, it is inconsistent with the Oxford House concept to have a requirement placed on members to utilize the services of psychiatrists, doctors, or even the program of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous except in very special circumstances.

Within an Oxford House group, it is not unusual to find some members who have problems, which cannot be dealt with by the group. In those situations, it is not uncommon for the Oxford House members, at a meeting, to strongly suggest that a fellow member seek professional help. In those situations where a member's behavior is disruptive to the group as a whole, the member may be required to seek such professional help or more self-help meetings in order to avoid being dismissed from Oxford House™.

One can only be dismissed from an Oxford House™ because of drinking, using drugs, non-payment of rent, or disruptive behavior. Members should be careful not to abuse the dismissal process. Every opportunity should be given to a member who needs professional help to see that he obtains it.

Nearly all members of Oxford House™ utilize the AA and/or NA program in order to obtain and keep a comfortable sobriety. However, an Oxford House™ relies primarily upon example for assuring a high percentage of AA and/or NA attendance from its members. As a general rule formal AA or NA meetings are not held in an Oxford House™. However, every member who has maintained comfortable sobriety in an Oxford House™ makes it a practice to attend a lot of AA and/or NA meetings on a regular basis.30 If a house member does not regularly attend AA or NA meetings, the house may – as a group conscience – decide that an individual residence should attend a set number of meetings each week for both the individual’s well-being and the well-being of others who live in the house.

Individuals living in each of the Oxford Houses have also been responsible for starting many new groups of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous having meetings near an Oxford House™. This not only helps those individuals to become more involved in AA or NA, and thereby reap greater individual benefits, but also helps to build strong bonds between local AA and NA groups and Oxford House™.

30 The Spring 1988 Survey of Oxford House members showed that the average member attends six AA or NA meetings a week. Subsequentannual surveys of Oxford House residents all around the country have confirmed that Oxford House residents attend an average of between five and six AA or NA meetings a week.

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TRADITION EIGHT

Propagation of the Oxford House, Inc. concept should always be conceived as public education rather than promotion. Principles should always be placed before personalities.

Those who have benefited from living in an Oxford House™ have acquired enthusiasm for the Oxford House concept. In their enthusiasm, they have been anxious to share Oxford House™ with any recovering alcoholics and drug addicts who want to establish an Oxford House™ in their community.

Every Oxford House member stands ready to explain the workings of his House and the benefits derived there to anyone anywhere. No personal gain is derived from any Oxford House™ promotion. It should also be pointed out that Oxford House, Inc. in no way gains from the creation of new Oxford Houses. It has been formed as a non-profit corporation and will continue to operate as one both according to the letter and spirit of the law.

It is not easy to spread the word of a new concept or an old concept with a new twist. Propagation, or spreading the word, of the Oxford House concept is given the highest priority by the members of Oxford House™.

Before spreading the word, an individual Oxford House™ should make certain that it is sufficiently established to undertake public discussion of it goals and mission. The best sales pitch for spreading the word about Oxford House™ is simply the establishment of a sound Oxford House™ and a straightforward discussion of what it is, how it works and why it is needed.

As with any group or organization, there will be some individuals who will be so impressed with the Oxford House concept that they will become "super salesmen." Each super salesman should be keenly aware that the Oxford House concept is one based on principles rather than personalities. The situation should be avoided whereby certain individuals will begin to equate their persuasive qualities with the Oxford House concept. The concept and the standardized, democratic, self-supported Oxford House system of operations itself are far more persuasive than any individual. Be honest and straightforward when sharing the Oxford House concept with others.

The Oxford House concept is a sound one, based on sound principles, and has demonstrated its worth with an established track record. We should spread the word about Oxford House™, but be wary of individuals who place their own personalities before the principles that made Oxford House™ work. Oxford Houses are dedicated to recovery and group support; not individual gain.

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TRADITION NINE

Members who leave an Oxford House™ in good standing are encouraged to become associate members and offer friendship, support, and example to newer members.

While no one is ever asked to leave an Oxford House™ without cause, some individuals will simply outgrow living in an Oxford House™. They will return to their families; they may start new families; they may simply move into another living situation.

Once a member has left an Oxford House™, he should be encouraged to become active in the Oxford House Alumni Association. Many alumni members continue to be associated with their former Oxford House™ as an associate house member. The associate member should be encouraged to attend meetings, but a local house may decide that his voting privileges are somewhat less than those who live in the House. Such a restriction of voting privileges makes sense and should not discourage members who leave in good standing from becoming associate members of their former house or chapter.

Gratitude is a feeling that most alcoholics acquire sometime during their recovery process. Often, recovering alcoholics and drug addicts find it difficult to adequately express their gratitude. The alumni member of Oxford House™ is in the enviable position of being able to be of service in an environment in which he has total understanding. The alumni member can offer friendship, support, and an example to the active members of an Oxford House™.

Moreover, the alumni member can often provide assistance in forming new Oxford Houses or in recruiting new members who want to live in an Oxford House™. Above all the associate member serves as an example of one who lived in an Oxford House™ and "made it."

All Oxford Houses should encourage members who leave in good standing to maintain a continuous link with their Oxford House™ experience. The welcome mat should be out to any associate member and contacts between associate members and active members should be encouraged.31

To the extent possible each Oxford House™ should keep Oxford House, Inc. up-to-date with the current address of Alumni Members, who have left the House in good standing, so that they can receive the "Oxford Grape" and other Oxford House newsletters.32

31 Many former residents of Oxford Houses, who left their particular house clean and sober, become members of the national Oxford HouseAlumni Association. The Alumni Association is a fellowship of former Oxford House™ residents who share their experience, strengths and hope in order to expand the Oxford House™ movement and keep it operating and expanding in a way to assure other recovering individuals the same opportunity they have enjoyed.

32 Names and addresses of Alumni Members and inquires concerning the Oxford House Manual© should be sent to Oxford House, Inc. 1010Wayne Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. A cooperative effort by both alumni and active house members can help keep successful members of Oxford House™ in touch with the Oxford House family. Most Oxford Houses honor their members who leave in good standing by awarding them a certificate of accomplishment and the first year’s membership in the Oxford House Alumni Association.

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House Officers President Secretary Coordinator Comptroller House Service Representative Treasurer

President

Each House shall have its own duly elected President. The President must be a resident of the particular house

and shall serve a term not to exceed six months. A resident may not serve as President for two consecutive terms, but may be elected to President again six months after the completion of one term.

Unlike the name suggests, the house President does not manage the house or it’s members. Simply put, the

President of an Oxford House takes a general leadership role in making sure the operation of the house is smooth and that if there are any concerns, they are involved in resolving it. Being a representative of their house to the local Oxford

House community is a serious responsibility and should encourage houses to choose a member that best represents the

overall values of the membership.

President’s Duties:

• President will be responsible for calling a regular business meeting not less than once per week. The President willpreside over the meeting and will follow the Oxford House Sample Meeting Agenda and basic parliamentary procedure.

• The President will have the duty of accepting responsibility for general leadership within the house. Such leadership

should include encouraging all house officers to fulfill their duties and frequent AA/NA meeting attendance by all house members. In addition, the President should stand ready to entertain any complaints from members of the house as to

general operation, personality conflicts, or events which would affect the reputation of the house.

• The President, when present, will be responsible for calling and presiding over emergency house meetings, particularlyin regard to a house member’s concerns of possible alcohol or drug use by a resident.

• The President will be responsible for presiding over the process of interviewing prospective new residents. In addition,

unless otherwise delegated, the President will be responsible for orienting new house members, including reading house rules, filling out appropriate paperwork, and providing newcomer packets.

• The President will be one of the duly authorized officers designated to sign checks. As an authorized check signer, thePresident will not have direct access to the house checkbook.

• The President will represent the house at Chapter meetings. The President will vote on behalf of the house and reportthe status of the house to the Chapter, including providing a monthly financial status report and monthly house report. The President will be responsible for reporting to their house all decisions and business conducted at each Chapter meeting.

• The President, Treasurer and Comptroller TOGETHER shall conduct a monthly house account and audit report. The

audit report results must be posted for the entire house to examine and a monthly financial report submitted to the local

Chapter on a monthly basis.

• The President will be responsible for checking the house phone voicemail on a daily basis, retrieving any housebusiness-related calls, and addressing them appropriately in a timely manner.

House Meeting Procedure

The weekly regular business meeting is presided over by the House President. Meetings should be held once a week to discuss the business of the house and it’s operation. Members are encouraged to attend all

regularly scheduled and emergency meetings. The foundation of a democratically run house is the active

participation of all members in the decision making process of the house.

Format for Weekly House Business Meeting:

1. Call Meeting to Order (Open with Serenity Prayer)

2. Roll Call by Secretary - Determine excused and unexcused absences.

3. Reading of an Oxford House Tradition. Each Member can be asked to read a paragraph.

4. Secretary read Minutes of the last business meeting and/or emergency meeting in their entirety (Roll Call,

Reports, etc.). Ask if there are any corrections or additions. Ask for a Motion to “Accept as Read” or “Accept as

Corrected” if there were any additions or corrections.

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5. Each Officer now Reports on activity since last meeting. House should accept each Report by vote.

6. Give Treasurer’s Report:

a. All receipts, unpaid bills, and House check book(s) should be available at the Meeting for all Members

to review and comment.

b. Bills due should be presented and a Motion made to allocate necessary funds.

7. Give Comptroller’s Report:

a. Past Due EES from Members may be discussed at this time.

b. Motion to take action on past due members may also be in order at this time.

8. Give Coordinator’s Report:

a. List each person’s chore detail for previous week and state completed.

b. Motion to take action on any incomplete chore.

c. List and assign next week’s chore details.

9. Give House Services Report:

a. Discuss any upcoming events. (Chapter or HSR Meetings)

b. Announce any upcoming recovery related events.

c. List any communications with Treatment Centers or local recovery community regarding perspective

applicants.

10. Old Business:

a. Any business that was discussed previously. Last week’s New Business is this week’s Old Business.

b. Reports from Members assigned specific tasks at previous meeting(s).

11. New Business:

a. Any matters that have not been discussed previously.

b. Any Member may bring up New Business.

c. Motion must be made to take action.

d. Assign specific tasks to individual Members for follow-up on business not acted upon as of this

Meeting.

11. Adjournment: President may ask for a “Motion to adjourn”. Note time meeting adjourned.

Voting / Parliamentary Procedures for House Meetings

It is important for the President of the house to make and agenda for topics to be discussed at the regular scheduled house meeting. This should be displayed for all members to see before the meeting. Other members may add to this as

long as the topic is relevant.

Making a house decision regarding a report given or a topic of discussion should be made by a vote and following

these steps:

1. The language used by a member is "I Motion to ...."

2. Requires a "Second" by another member.

3. A Motion is dead if there is no “Second”. Move on to the next topic.

4. All Motions are followed by discussion by all members.

5. The President may limit the time for discussion (i.e. 5 minutes)

6. The President will then call for a “Motion to close discussion”.

7. The President may call for a vote by saying "If there is no further discussion, all those in favor? All those opposed?"

8. A vote must be taken from all members. No member should abstain.

9. Once a vote has been taken the matter is closed.

Tabling a Motion

After a Motion has been made, seconded, but during discussion it is decided that further information or investigation is required a motion is made to table the original topic of discussion.

1. Language: "I move to table the motion until (Specified Time)”

2. Requires a “Second”, and a vote.

3. There is no Discussion and the original “Motion” is closed4. If the “Tabling Motion” is defeated, discussion is again open on the original motion, or vote is called for.

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Expulsion vote of a member requires:

1. The Member must be present.

2. The Member can participate in discussion.3. The Member has a right to vote.

All Motions and votes must be recorded in the meeting minutes:

Example:

“A Motion was made by John Doe to …” (record clearly what the motion was, how much, or what action is to be

taken by whom).

The Motion was Seconded by Harry Smith.

The Motion was Passed by 6 yes, 1 no, 1 absent.

House Secretary must write all Motions and votes in the Meeting Minutes.

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Oxford House House Summary Report

(Complete form each month)

House Name: __________________________ Month: ______________

House Meetings Day/Time: _____________________ Capacity: __________ Vacancies: __________

Applications Received: __________ Admitted: ________

DEPARTURES – Voluntary: ________ Relapse: ________ Other: ________

CURRENT # RESIDENTS –________ On Contract: ________ (includes new-member contracts)

Names of those who relapsed or left owing money and $ amount owed:

FINANCES - $ in Checking: _______________ $ in Savings: ______________ $ Petty Cash: ____________

# Residents behind in EES: __________ Total $ owed to House: ________________

# Unpaid Bills: _________ List of Unpaid Bills: ______________________________________________________

Amount of contribution to Oxford House World Services: $____________

Monthly Audit Attached: Y / N

Vacancies Updated on oxfordhouse.org: Y / N

House Email Checked Weekly: Y / N

Answering Machine Checked Daily: Y / N

Presentations Attended: ______________________________________________________________________

Comments: (how is your house doing? Conflicts? Unity? Recovery?)

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Secretary

Each House shall have its own duly elected Secretary. The Secretary must be a resident of the particular house

and shall serve a term not to exceed six months. A resident may not serve as Secretary for two consecutive terms, but

may be elected to Secretary again six months after the completion of one term.

Secretary’s Duties:

The Secretary will accurately and thoroughly record the minutes of each weekly house meeting, interviews, and

emergency house meetings and will maintain an organized Secretary’s Manual.

The Secretary will maintain a house resident record book, keeping organized files on all resident applications,

contracts, and other forms.

The Secretary will maintain a supply of newcomer packets for incoming residents and will be responsible for

keeping an appropriate supply of all house forms.

The Secretary will complete a monthly house report for the President to present at the monthly Chapter meeting and

will update the house activity report form. The Secretary will report house activity data to the Chapter Secretary

each month no later than the second day of the month.

The Secretary will sign in to the national website (http://www.oxfordhouse.org/update), in order to update house

information and check for announcements/communications received via the website. The Secretary will do this at

least once per week prior to the weekly house meeting.

The Secretary will sign in to the house email account on a regular basis, (at least once per week prior to the weekly

house meeting), communicate information to the house, and respond to correspondence as necessary.

The Secretary will be responsible for any correspondence to and from the house, including thank-you notes.

The Secretary will maintain a record of all house officers, start and end dates of term, and inform house at least one

week in advance when an election is to be held at the weekly house meeting.

House File Organization / Record Keeping

Members of Oxford Houses are responsible for the overall operation of running a sober living house. The best way to ensure that everything runs smoothly is by keeping accurate records on members past and present, financial

records for checking account, and any documentation for the house.

Purchase a file cabinet with individual hanging folders for the following:

1. Current Residents:

a. Application, resident contracts, and any other relevant paperwork.

2. Past Residents:

a. Application, resident contracts, and any other relevant paperwork.

3. Copy of Lease / Landlord info.

4. Federal Tax ID paperwork.

5. Bank and financial records:

a. Checking account paperwork.

b. Monthly statements.

c. Monthly audits.

6. House bills and payment records.

7. Oxford House Inc. information:

a. Startup paperwork.

b. Correspondence with World Services Office.

c. Copy of donation form.

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Oxford House Meeting Minutes

1. Name of Oxford House: 2. Date of This Meeting

3. Purpose of Meeting

Regular Business Vote in New Members Expulsion

4. Meeting No. 5. Meeting Start Time

6. Members (list) Present Absent

1.

Present Absent

2.

Present Absent

3.

Present Absent

4. Present Absent

5.

Present Absent

6 Present Absent

7.

Present Absent

8. Present Absent

9.

Present Absent

10. Present Absent

11.

Present Absent

12. Present Absent

13.

Present Absent

14.

7. Secretary’s Report: Minutes of last meeting read and the following action was taken:

❏ Approved as read

❏ Changed as Follows:

8. Treasurer’s Report:

Beginning Balance in Checking Account $ _____________

TOTAL Deposit Received $

TOTAL Expenses Paid $

Ending Balance in Checking Account $_____________

Attach Weekly Financial Report

9. Comptroller’s Report: List of Members by amount

owed to house. Note amount due by name and action taken by the

house in extending credit.

Oxford House World Services, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910Telephone (301) 587-2916 • Facsimile (301) 589-0302

© 2003 Oxford House World Services Form HM-03-00 33

Oxford House World Services, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910Telephone (301) 587-2916 • Facsimile (301) 589-0302

© 2003 Oxford House World Services Form HM-03-00

10. Coordinator’s Report: The Coordinator discusses the condition of the House and any problems that exist in getting clean-up details

organized and completed. House safety, such as fire extinguishers, testing smoke detectors and checking that exits are not blocked is the

Coordinator’s responsibility and should be discussed at every meeting. Chore assignments not completed are considered by full house and fines

for failure to complete a chore may be voted.

11. House Services report:

12. Old Business: (List item and action taken)

13. New Business

14. Obtain the new address and telephone number for any resident who has moved out of the house on good terms. If your house is part of a

Chapter provide the information to the Chapter at the next Chapter meeting so that the Chapter can forward the information to Oxford House World

Services. If not part of a Chapter, the house should send the names and addresses of successful graduates to Oxford House World Services once a

month. Tradition Nine encourages us to keep our family especially when we move out of an Oxford House clean and sober.

15. Time Meeting Adjourned: 15. Signature of Secretary

16. Remember when you have a vacancy hold a

special meeting to consider anyone applying for

membership in the house. Recovery requires a

prompt response.

17. Date:

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Coordinator

Each House shall have its own duly elected Coordinator. The Coordinator must be a resident of the particular

house and shall serve a term not to exceed six months. A resident may not serve as Chore Coordinator for two

consecutive terms, but may be elected to Chore Coordinator again six months after the completion of one term.

In order for a group of individuals to have a living environment that is safe and well maintained, there needs to

be a member responsible for the overall maintenance of the property. It is the personal responsibility of everyone living in an Oxford House to clean up after themselves and to use the property safely. If there is a concern with a member and

their actions, the group should hold them accountable with extra chore duty, fines, or a behavioral contract. The

Coordinator is only responsible for bringing the member’s action to the attention of the group and holding them accountable should be by majority vote of the house.

Coordinator’s Duties:

• The Coordinator will assign chores in order to keep the house clean and orderly. Chores will be assigned to house

members in a fair manner on a weekly basis prior to each weekly business meeting.

• The Coordinator will report to the house at the weekly business meeting the status of chores completed or not

adequately completed.

• The Coordinator is authorized to bring to any member’s attention their failure to appropriately clean up

after themselves.

• The Coordinator will be responsible for the general safety of the house, including regularly testing smoke-detectors,

conducting fire safety checks, and fire drills, and discussing house safety issues with the house members at the weekly

business meeting.

• The Coordinator will be responsible for the general upkeep of the house, bringing to the attention of the house

any maintenance issues and enlisting the support of all house members in completing any projects undertaken by

the house as the result of a house decision.

• The Coordinator will be responsible for keeping the house properly stocked with house supplies that the house

provides (e.g. cleaning supplies, toilet paper, coffee, etc.).

• The Coordinator will conduct periodic cursory visual checks of all members’ rooms in order to make sure they are

keeping their rooms clean.

• The Coordinator will maintain an accurate and up-to-date house property list.

Fire Safety in an Oxford House

These tips have been compiled from several resources and edited to specifically address issues common to Oxford

Houses. For more fire safety information, contact your local fire department. Recently yet another Oxford House was

damaged by fire. Fortunately this time no one was injured. We can’t ever afford to relax our vigilance toward fire safety

in our houses. Some of the most common causes of structure fires are electricity, heating, and smoking. Oxford Houses

are especially vulnerable to fires caused by these sources. We usually have a larger number of people living in a

residence than the building was designed for and a higher percentage of smokers than in the general population. In

addition to televisions and electronics in common areas, many bedrooms will have personal computers, etc., creating a

heavy electrical load. Space heaters in rooms are especially problematic. More people also means more cooking and

extra dryer use, two more common causes of house fires. And then there’s the smoking issue! Here are some ideas that may help to prevent a fire from beginning in your house:

Electrical

• Discourage the use of space heaters in bedrooms. They’re a fire danger no matter how carefully used, and will

also cause your electricity bill to skyrocket. Try to compromise on a temperature for your house that most members are

comfortable with. If you use space heaters, never plug them into extension cords; plug them directly into the wall.

Never leave them on unattended, and discourage the use of leaving them on while sleeping. Make sure any flammable

material such as curtains or bedding is at least three feet away from the heater.

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• Avoid using household extension cords. If there aren’t enough outlets, invest in heavy-duty surge protectors incommon areas and bedrooms.

• If circuit breakers start tripping or fuses blowing, your electrical system is overloaded. Reduce the number of

appliances on the circuit and contact your landlord or a licensed electrician.

• Never allow anyone other than a licensed electrician to work on wiring. Do-it-yourself projects are great for most

things, but electricity should be left to the pros!

Cooking

• Careless cooking is the number one cause of residential fires. Never leave items on the stovetop unattended. Turn

ovens and burners off immediately when finished using them.

• Wipe up spattered grease as soon as the burner or oven is cool enough. If many of your members fry food,

consider investing in a deep fryer to avoid grease spatter on the stove.

• Thorough cleaning of your oven, stove burners, and stove exhaust hood should be part of your house’s weekly

kitchen chore.

• Don’t store anything on top of the stove.

• If a grease fire occurs, don’t try to put it out with water. If the burning grease is in a pan, put a lid on it. If it’s inthe oven, close the over door and turn it off. It may burn itself out. If not, use a fire extinguisher or call 911.

Smoking

• Use large ashtrays designed that a cigarette left burning will fall inside the ashtray.

• No smoking allowed in bedrooms, have only smoking in common areas if at all.

• Use butt cans with sand to completely extinguish cigarettes.

• Keep ashtrays and butt cans on non-flammable surfaces like concrete. The heat from a smoldering butt can and

may set a porch or other wood surface afire. • Keep anything flammable well away from areas where people congregate to smoke.

• Don’t empty ashtrays directly into the trash.

• Never leave burning cigarettes unattended, even for a moment. Make sure butts are completely extinguished

before walking away.

Other dangers

• Clothes dryers can be a fire hazard. Avoid putting rubber and some synthetic fabrics in the dryer. Keep the lint

trap clean.

• Gasoline for lawn mowers should be stored in approved containers and if possible, stored in outside sheds. Gas up

your mower at least two feet away from the building.

• Children and grandchildren who visit should be considered in fire safety plans. Don’t leave kids unattended withlighters, etc., or space heaters. Include them in your fire escape plans.

Are you prepared?

Despite your best efforts to prevent one, a fire may still break out in your house. Planning and preparation are the

keys to minimizing damage and preventing loss of life or injury. Your house should contain:

• A smoke detector on each level of the home. Test your smoke detectors periodically, at least every six months.

Change the batteries annually. • A fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen. Purchase an ABC-type fire extinguisher capable of putting out all kinds

of fires. Another fire extinguisher in or near the garage or other work area is recommended.

• If you have members sleeping on upper stories of the house with no exit other than the stairs, you must have fire

escape ladders. Home improvement and hardware stores carry them. Your local fire department can give you more

information on the type best suited to your particular structure.

Every house should have a fire escape plan, preferably with at least two ways out of every room in the house.

Basements can be especially problematic. Current code requires that all basement windows be large enough that they

can be used to escape a fire. However, many Oxford Houses are older houses with basement windows not up to current

codes. This is something to consider when deciding whether a particular structure is suitable as an Oxford House. It

may not be necessary for all windows to be up to code, but it’s essential that there be some way out of a basement other

than one set of stairs. Stairwells act as chimneys during a fire and can become impassable within a few minutes. If the

fire exit is a garage or basement window, make sure it can be opened quickly and easily from the inside. Keep the area

free from obstructions so it can be reached in a hurry.

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Familiarize new members with your fire escape plan. Include children and any other regular overnight guests. Some houses hold fire drills. If you don’t, at least make sure every member knows how to get out of their room and at

least two ways off their floor. Arrange a place outside to meet so that a head count can be conducted. Firefighters will

need to know if anyone may be trapped inside the building. In an Oxford House, the house officer usually responsible

for most aspects of safety and disaster preparedness is the chore coordinator. He or she will be the one most likely to

notice situations that may be fire hazards like lint in dryer or spattered grease on a stove. During checks to see that

chores have been done, keep an eye out for other potential fire hazards as well. The Coordinator should also be the

member responsible for creating the escape plan and familiarizing new members with it. He or she should be

responsible for testing the fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. Either the chore coordinator or someone else

specifically delegated needs to be responsible for calling the fire department from a safe location in the event of a fire.

If a fire occurs, only try to put it out with an extinguisher if you’re absolutely sure you can do so safely. If you see or

smell smoke or flames, or if a smoke detector goes off, get out of the house immediately and call the fire department. Once out, don’t re-enter the building until you know it’s safe. Fire spreads quickly and can engulf a house within

minutes. Possessions can be replaced, but people can’t!

37

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38

Comptroller

Each House shall have its own duly elected Comptroller. The Comptroller must be a resident of the particular

house and shall serve a term not to exceed six months. A resident may not serve as Comptroller for two consecutive terms, but may be elected to Comptroller again six months after the completion of one term.

The Comptroller is responsible for all the money owed to, and received, by the house.

Accurate record keeping is essential to the financial stability of the house. Each house is financially self-supporting and

keeping track of each member’s EES (Equal Expenses Shared) is a vital part of the Oxford House concept. Make sure

each member is accountable for their share of the house expenses and is not allowed to fall behind on payments. Not

being responsible for our share of expenses is old behavior and houses that don’t hold members accountable are enabling that behavior. If a member does fall behind be sure to work out a financial contract with them to become

current on EES owed. Our goal is to learn to be financially responsible for ourselves.

Comptroller’s Duties:

• The Comptroller will have the responsibility of keeping accurate and organized records of resident’s EES

balances, including money owed to the house for fines or other purposes.

• The Comptroller will fill out an Accounts Receivable Journal and update an Individual Member Receivable Ledger

every week, updating all rent, fine, and move-in fee balances. An Individual Member Receivable Ledger will be

accurately maintained for each house resident, including move- in and move-out information.

• The Comptroller will provide accurate and prompt receipts for money paid to the house.

• The Comptroller must complete the weekly reports prior to the weekly business meeting and present the

Accounts Receivable Journal to the house at the weekly business meeting.

• The Comptroller will assist the Treasurer in overall house financial operations.


audit report results must be posted for the entire house to examine and a monthly financial report submitted to the local

Chapter on a monthly basis.

• Comptroller should give receipts for money received by house members.

39

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41

House Services Committee Representative

Each House shall have its own duly elected Housing Service Committee Representative (HSC Rep). The HSC

Rep must be a resident of the particular house and shall serve for a term not to exceed six months. A resident may not

serve as HSC Rep for two consecutive terms, but may be elected to HSC Rep again six months after the completion of

one term.

In our addiction, we would isolate ourselves and were lonely. When we first came to 12 step meetings our

instinct was to think we were different and separate ourselves from other members.

When we moved into an Oxford House we were immediately surrounded by recovery minded peers and could start to feel a part of something, instead of feeling apart from. Service work is at the foundation of what living in Oxford House

is about and it doesn’t take a lot of experience to help others. Mostly just being involved by showing up when asked, is

enough to make a difference. The office of HSC Rep for your house is a great way to be of service to others, while at the

same time helping yourself and your recovery.

Housing Service Committee Representative’s Duties:

• The HSC Rep will participate in scheduled presentations at area referral agencies; distributing vacancy flyers for

their individual house or other houses in the Chapter.

• The HSC Rep will assist in the various tasks of opening a new house as needed.

• The HSC Rep will attend all regularly scheduled Housing Service Committee meetings and other Housing Service

Committee activities.

• The HSC Rep will assist the HSC Chairperson and Committee with troubleshooting problems within houses in

the Chapter as needed.

• The HSC Rep will inform their individual house about the Housing Service Committee’s needs, endeavors and

service work opportunities.

• The HSC Rep will represent their house and its group conscience to the HSC Committee as necessary.

• The HSC Rep will lend support to their individual house in helping house officers realize their expected duties.

• The HSC Rep will help their individual house maintain a healthy image in their immediate community.

What is the Housing Service Committee?

The Housing Service Committee is a branch of service that works in three areas of Oxford House Operations:

1. Propagation of new Oxford Houses – expanding to meet the needs of the recovery community, (housing the

recovering addict/alcoholic).

2. Attracting prospective members of Oxford House – at treatment centers, 12‐step meetings, and other

referral agencies and sources.

3. Reaching out to existing Oxford Houses through the fraternal domain of the Chapter to help establish the

traditional structure/model of Oxford House and to assist with achieving the financial and community stability

of each house.

There are three levels of Housing Services within the territory of the State:

1. State Association Housing Services Chairperson

2. Chapter Housing Service Committee Chairperson

3. Housing Service Committee Representatives – one from each house in the Chapter. These Housing Service

Committee Representatives, the Chapter Housing Service Committee Chairperson, & Chapter

Vice‐Chairperson together form the Chapter Housing Service Committee.

4. In addition to these roles of service a Housing Service Committee Secretary should be elected to record the

minutes of the Housing Service Committee meetings.

42

The Housing Service Committee Representatives from each house have the following responsibilities:

1. Participate in scheduled presentations at area treatment centers and other referral sources.

2. Assist in the various tasks of opening a new house as needed.

3. Attend a regular monthly Housing Service Committee meeting.

4. Help their individual house maintain a healthy image in their immediate community.

5. Assist the HSC Chairperson and HSC Committee in troubleshooting problems with houses in the Chapter

as needed. 6. Lend support to their individual house in helping house officers realize their expected duties (educate).

7. Inform their individual house about Housing Service Committee endeavors regularly.

8. Represent their house and its consensus opinions to the Housing Service Committee when/if needed.

9. Compile monthly statistics/data about their house to submit to chapter. The Housing Service Committee

HSC Chairperson has the following responsibilities:

1. Hold a regular monthly Housing Service Committee meeting.

2. Generate an agenda for the Housing Service Committee.

3. Provide leadership to the Committee and the Chapter regarding Housing Service issues; delegate to the

Chapter Vice‐ Chairperson when needed.

4. Report to the Chapter, monthly, the outcomes and activities of the Committee.

5. Report to the State Housing Services Chairperson concerns and positions of the Chapter Housing ServiceCommittee.

6. Schedule and participate in treatment center presentations.

7. Spearhead and coordinate the opening of new houses.

8. Encourage all Oxford members to get involved with Housing Service Committee activities.

9. Be an available contact for any house in the Chapter asking for help.

The Housing Service Committee is both a responsive and proactive arm of the Oxford House Chapter

and is intended to be the chief modality for growth of Oxford House in the community at large. It is through

the legacy of the Housing Service Committee that Oxford House keeps its vitality and profound traditional

integrity. The dynamic of each house’s relationship with the Chapter is an integral part of our continued

success. This is an ideal area of service and a great opportunity to give back some of what you has freely been

given to you.

43

Treasurer

Each House shall have its own duly elected Treasurer. The Treasurer must be a resident of the particular

house and shall serve a term not to exceed six months. A resident may not serve as Treasurer for two consecutive

terms, but may be elected to Treasurer again six months after the completion of one term. The responsibility of

keeping track of house bills, and maintaining the house checking account, is a big job. While it is the duty of the

Treasure to keep them in order, it should be the responsibility of all the House members to ensure the financial well-

being of the House. Checks and balances from all the House members are necessary for a financially secure, self-supporting Oxford House.

Treasurer’s Duties:

• The Treasurer will have the overall responsibility for assuring the sound financial management of the house. The

Treasurer will become familiar with and follow the financial record keeping procedures established by the house and

will maintain accurate and organized financial records.

• The Treasurer will write checks for all house approved expenditures and will not be one of the duly authorized

officers designated to sign checks. The Treasurer will not have direct access to the house checkbook. The checkbook

will be locked up with at least two residents, which are not signers on the account, having the keys to the safe.

• The Treasurer will have a full and working knowledge of the Comptroller’s position. The Treasurer will assist the

Comptroller and may undertake all financial transactions authorized by the house.

• The Treasurer will be responsible for making a weekly bank deposit of total money received and will obtain a receipt

of deposit from the bank.

• The Treasurer must accurately maintain all transactions in the house checkbook ledger. The Treasurer will reconcile

the monthly bank statement with the house checkbook ledger and present to house in a weekly business meeting.

• The Treasurer must complete a Weekly Financial Status Report prior to the weekly business meeting, including anaccurate account of bills to be paid, and present it to the house at the weekly business meeting.


audit report results must be posted for the entire house to examine and a monthly financial report submitted to the

local Chapter on a monthly basis.

• The Treasurer will assist the President with completing the financial section of the House Summary Report

Protecting the House finances / checking account

1. Make sure your checks require two signatures that are on file at the bank. Keep signature card updated as signers

change.

2. Keep checkbook locked up during the week in a filing cabinet or other locked receptacle. If possible, have two

keys to the receptacle and give the keys to members of the house who are not check signers.

3. Only bring checkbook out at house business meetings, where all expenditures are voted on and checks for

those expenditures are written at the house meeting.

4. The monthly bank statement must be passed around the house meeting and posted on the bulletin board for all

members to see.

5. All members should take an active interest in how their rent money is being spent. Don't let any one member havetoo much control of the finances no matter how long this person may have lived in the house nor how trustworthy

this person may appear to be. New members especially, should be aware that they have as much right as the

senior members to know EVERYTHING about house finances.

6. If you have a theft or embezzlement, go to the police and bring charges against the guilty party. If the one of the

signatures on the check was a forgery, discuss this forgery with the bank.

7. Audit your books monthly. There should be a predetermined time each month, outside of the regular weekly

business meeting, for the Treasurer, President, Comptroller and any other interested house members to conduct

the audit and prepare a monthly financial summary for the house records and to present to the chapter.

44

WEEKLY OXFORD HOUSE FINANCIAL STATUS REPORT

CASH IN BANK START OF THIS WEEK

TOTAL MONEY RECEIVED: (ADD TO AMOUNT AT TOP OF PAGE

TO SHOW “CASH + RECEIPTS”)

© 2003 Oxford House World Services

Week Of: TO 20

Number of Weekly Report Name of House

CHECKING ACCOUNT BALANCE + SAVING ACCOUNT

BALANCE = $ DATE DEPOSITS AND MONEY RECEIVED AT THIS MEETING

OR SINCE LAST DEPOSIT [LIST BY SOURCE]

AMOUNT

CASH + RECEIPTS

$

45

CASH + RECEIPTS FROM FRONT

SUBTRACT TOTAL MONEY PAID OUT:

ENTER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMOUNT PAID OUT AND CASH + RECEIPTS

Oxford House World Services, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone 1-800-689-6411 • Facsimile 1-888-689-6411

Carry forward this amount to the next weekly financial report. Remember to number each sheet for easy reference of one week from the next.

EXPENDITURE BY CHECK AND CASH $

DATE PAID TO AND PURPOSE CHECK NO.

AMOUNT

$

BILLS TO BE PAID (Future bills due within 30 days)

DATE DUE TO WHOM AND FOR WHAT AMOUNT

TOTAL

46

Oxford House Monthly Reconciliation and Financial Audit HOW TO RECONCILE YOUR HOUSE CHECK BOOK --

Reconcile your checking account every month when you receive your Bank Statement. The following easy steps will help you do the job.

HOUSE NAME MONTH/YEAR OF:

Step 1. CHECK (√) AMOUNTS SHOWN ON YOUR STATEMENT AGAINST AMOUNTS ENTERED IN YOUR CHECK BOOK. Step 2. LIST BELOW THE CHECKS WRITTEN DURING THE PERIOD WHICH ARE NOT RECORDED ON YOUR BANK STATEMENT. Step 3. LIST BELOW THE DEPOSITS MADE DURING THE PERIOD WHICH ARE NOT RECORDED ON YOUR BANK STATEMENT. Step 4. ADJUST YOUR CHECK BOOK BALANCE BY SUBTRACTING ANY SERVICE CHARGES NOTED ON YOUR STATEMENT. Step 5. Add the deposits not recorded to the statement balance and subtract the amount of outstanding checks plus service charges.

Apply the five steps above by filling in the form below. The result arrived at in the “AUDITED HOUSE ACCOUNT” box is the amount of money a house has available at the end of the period. This completes an audit of the checking account. If your house has a savings account, audit it using the steps on the other side of this form.

House Checking Account Audit:

DEPOSITS NOT ON YOUR STATEMENT

DATE AMOUNT

ENTER STATEMENT ENDING BALANCE + TOTAL OF ITEMS NOT

DEPOSITED

CHECKS NOT ON YOUR STATEMENT

NUMBER AND DATE AMOUNT

=SUB TOTAL

-MINUS TOTAL OUTSTANDING

CHECKS

AUDITED HOUSE ACCOUNT $

BANK STATEMENT DATE

1. HOUSE TREASURER, COMPTROLLER AND PRESIDENTSHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO COMPLETE EACH MONTHLY AUDIT OF HOUSE FUNDS.

2. AFTER COMPLETING THE AUDIT EACH SHOULD SIGN THEOTHER SIDE OF THIS FORM AND THEN POST THE FORM SO EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE KNOWS THE FINANCIAL STATUS.

© 2003 Oxford House World Services, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone 1-800-689-6411

47

Oxford House Monthly Reconciliation and Financial Audit The summary of the financial status our Oxford House at the end of the month is computed below by filling in the right amounts and adding or subtracting:

House Savings Account Amount in the Bank

$

Plus House Checking Account Amount in the Bank

$

Plus

Amount to be Deposited in Savings Account

$

Plus

Amount to be Deposited in Checking Account

$

Minus

Total of Bills Due $

Available Funds $Plus

Money Owed the House $

Total Funds Available When All Money Owed the House is Paid $List below the individuals who are behind in paying their equal share of household expenses.

Name Amount Owed Name Amount Owed

Auditing Officer’s Initials

President Date:Treasurer Date:Comptroller: Date:

© 2003 Oxford House World Services, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone 1-800-689-6411

48


New Members Interview Process Application Resident Contract

Interview Etiquette

The interview process within your house is a very important part of getting and keeping your house full and

financially self‐supporting. Although each house is autonomous, there are suggested interview guidelines that each

house can follow. Your outreach worker can supply your house with a copy of these guidelines if you do not have

one. Below are a few suggestions that can help to make the interview process a more comfortable one for the house

and the applicant.

1. Have the application and a pen ready, with a quiet place for the applicant to sit and fill it out.

2. Introductions: Each individual will introduce themselves.

3. Open with a brief explanation of the Oxford House concept.

4. Show the “60 Minutes” DVD. (Have house members sit and watch with applicant. This is also a good timeto pass around the application for members to review.)

5. Have the House President read the application out loud, and address any missing information.

6. Have applicant speak briefly about him/herself.

7. Conduct your Q & A time.

8. Give a brief explanation of share of expenses, move‐in fees, house expectations, chores, fines, etc.

9. Ask applicant if they have any questions for the house.

Once the interview is over, you may ask the applicant to step into another room. Make sure to explain thatthe house members will discuss the interview and vote. Let the applicant know that someone will call them in to say if they have been accepted or not. In the event that the applicant was not accepted and they question why, simply explain to them that they did not get an 80% vote from the House members – then refer them to another house.

Note to house members:

DO: Listen, share briefly about yourself, put the person at ease, and ask questions if you want more information.

DON’T: Give advice about their recovery, discuss anything related to house business or another member’s

problems, or discuss sexual preference, politics or religion.

Suggested Interview Questions

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

2. How did you get to this point in your recovery?

3. How do you feel about your addiction? (Probe for denial – do they accept the disease concept – anger –

willingness – desire?)

4. What is your plan for recovery?

5. Do you go to AA/NA meetings? What step are you currently working on, if any?

6. Do you have a sponsor? If not, will you get one within 2 weeks?

7. Have you identified your relapse triggers? If so, what are they?

8. Can you tell us any behaviors you might exhibit that would indicate you are headed towards a relapse? If

we see these behaviors in you, would you comply with a house contract to address these behaviors?

9. What is your job history? Do you have a profession, trade or skill?

10. Do you have an anger problem? If so, what provokes the anger? Ask them to name something that wouldmake them angry. Have you ever attended anger management? (Probe for aggressive behavior, physical

and domestic violence)

11. How do you feel about group living? Are you compatible with most people? Are you willing to work with

others?

50

12. Are you involved in a relationship (significant other, children, etc.)?

13. Are you involved in any relationships that may be potentially disruptive to the house?

14. Are you on any medications? If so, what? If you are on narcotics, is your doctor aware of your addiction?

(Explain the house policy on medication.)

15. Tell us about your legal problems

a. How many times have you been in jail

b. How long? What for?

c. Do you have any legal charges pending?

d. Are you currently on probation? If so, what for?

e. How did your addiction relate to your illegal activities?

f. At what age did it start? Does crime precede addiction? Frequency of institutionalization? (Probe

for criminal mentality)

16. Are you a registered sex offender?

17. Can you handle being confronted in a constructive manner?

18. Can you confront others in a constructive manner?

19. Do you have any prejudice issues (racial, sexual, etc.)?

20. Would you have any problems performing chores? (Disabilities, grass cutting, etc.)

21. What do you feel you can offer this house?

22. What can Oxford House offer you?

23. Why do you want to live in an Oxford House?

24. Scenario: You and your roommate become friends. One day your roommate tells you they have had a bad

day (got fired from their job, lost their girlfriend/boyfriend, death in the family, etc.). They need to unwind

a little and they just took one hit or drink, but they are so sorry and promise to never do it again. They

really want to continue to live in Oxford House, and know they will be evicted if anyone finds out, so they

ask you to please keep this a secret. How would you handle this situation?

25. Explain the house guidelines. Go over probationary period, meeting attendance requirements, and house

meetings dates and times. Make sure they understand that house meeting attendance is mandatory.

26. Explain Chapter and Housing Service Committee meetings, dates and times, and rotation. Make them

aware of your houses attendance expectations.

27. Explain officer positions and the houses expectation to fulfill them. (It’s a good idea to let them know there

are “outside” duties as well.) Ask them if they have any disabilities that would prevent them from fulfilling

a position (unable to read, do math, etc.).

28. Explain the move‐in cost (non‐refundable move in fee/alumni gift and advance rent). Explain the weekly

rent amount, date and time the rent is due, and expectation to be current on rent at all times.

29. If accepted, when could they pay rent and move in?

30. Explain the voting procedures of accepting a new member (80%) and that the house will call them as soon

as possible (no longer than 24 hours) to let them know if they are accepted or not and the terms of their

probation contract if they are accepted. Make sure you have a good number to reach them.

31. Thank them, ask if they have any questions, and show them around.

51

10 insights for new members

1. Oxford House is a missing link in the recovery process. It provides the time and support each of us needs to

develop comfortable sobriety.

2. It works only if the Oxford House system of democratic operations is followed and the system of financial

self-support is strictly followed. Learn the Oxford House Manual and the nine Oxford House traditions.

3. House meetings take place once every week. Attend every weekly meeting. The reason for weekly housemeetings is to make the house run smoothly. The weekly meeting is the place to resolve disputes among the

“family” and a place to work together to keep recovery at the heart of all house operations.

4. Pay your share of expenses on time. Put first things first. Old behavior put our rent last. New behavior puts

it first; otherwise each of us feels lousy and the house can fail.

5. Pride that is earned is worthwhile but false pride causes conflict. A house where all the residents work with

each other to gain comfortable sobriety is one that generates worthwhile pride.

6. Open finances of the house helps to overcome the suspicion we all have in early recovery. The house

finances should be discussed at each meeting and posted openly for everyone to see.

7. Do household chores on time. You may be the coordinator someday and others will do unto you as you did

to them.

8. Don’t isolate. Loneliness and self-pity lead many of us back to drinking or using drugs.

9. Go to a lot of twelve-step meetings. AA and NA attendance is a good habit to develop to make behaviorchange comfortable and to gain comfortable sobriety – forever.

10. Blow the whistle on any member who relapses. The house can lose its charter if the resident who uses

alcohol or drugs, in or out of the house, is not expelled immediately.

Guest Expectations

1. You are responsible for your guests. No guest is allowed to be in the house without you being present. If

need be, ask another house member to be responsible for your guest.

2. No guest is allowed in the house while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

3. Inform your guests about your house’s curfew policy.

4. If you share a room, make sure you work out prearrangements for overnight guests.

5. Introduce your overnight guests with the other house members present.

6. Do not discuss other house member’s personal business or house business with your guests.

7. You are responsible for your guest’s behavior. If your guest is disruptive to other members you will be held

responsible for their behavior and could be expelled.

52

Application For Membership In Oxford HouseTo be accepted in an Oxford House an applicant must complete both sides of this application and be interviewed by the residents of the particular Oxford House to which the applicant is applying. The residents of the house then vote on acceptance. An 80% affirmative vote is needed to be accepted. Carefully read the application and honestly answer the questions. Living in an Oxford House is special and if you understand its value it can help you achieve comfortable sobriety without relapse.

1. Print Name (Last, First, Middle) 3. Date of BirthMonth Day Year

2. Present address (Street) Check if treatment facility 4. Phone Where You Can Be Reached

Home ( )

City State Zip

Work ( ) 5. Are you an Alcoholic?

Yes No6. Date of YourLast Drink?

9. List drugs you used addictively:

7. Are you addicted to drugs?Yes No

8. Date of lastdrug use?

10. When did you attend your first AA or NA meeting? 11. How many AA/NA meeting do you now attend eachweek?

12. Do you want to stop drinking alcohol and using addictive drugs?Yes No

13. Are you employed?Yes No If “yes” who is your employer?

14. Are you getting welfare or other non-job related income?Yes No If “yes” what?

15. If you do not have a job will you get one?Yes No If “yes” what job plans do you have?

16. What is your monthly income right now?

$___________________

17. What do you expect your monthly income to be nextmonth? $ ________________

18. Marital status [Check One] Married, Never Married, Separated, Divorced

19. Do you have a medical doctor?Yes No

If “yes” list the doctor’s name and phone number:

20. Have you ever been to a treatment facility for alcoholism and/or drug addiction?Yes No If “yes” list the treatment provider, phone number and primary

counselor, if any.

21. Do you take prescription drugs?Yes No If “yes” list drugs and reason the

drug has been prescribed.

Please complete the other side of this application.

© 2003 Oxford House World Services, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 400, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Telephone (301) 587-2916 • Facsimile (301) 589-0302

53

Side 2

© 2003 Oxford House World Services • Call 1-800-689-6411 for the Oxford House nearest you.

22. Date of move in ? Immediately Other -- If “other” list the date you would want to move in, if accepted, and why the date is in the future rather than immediately. Date: ______ Reason:

23. Have you ever lived in an Oxford House before? Yes No If “yes,” provide the name and location of the Oxford House below and answer question 24.

24. [Answer this question if the answer to question 23 was “yes.”] I left the previous Oxford House for the following reason: [check one]

relapse, voluntarily, other reason(s) _____________________________________________

I, did or do not owe money to the Oxford House I left. If I did owe money to the Oxford House I left, I will agree to repay the money I owed to my former Oxford House. Yes No

25. Emergency Telephone Numbers. [[List family doctor, if you have one, + two family members or friends]Name and Address

1-

2-

3-

Relationship Telephone

26. I realize that the Oxford House to which I am applying for residency has been established in compliancewith the conditions of § 2036 of the Federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, P.L. 100-690, as amended, which provides that federal money loaned to start the house requires the house residents to (A) prohibit all residents from using any alcohol or illegal drugs, (B) expel any resident who violates such prohibition, (C) equally share household expenses including the monthly lease payment, among all residents, and (D) utilize democratic decision making within the group including inclusion in and expulsion from the group. In accepting these terms, the applicant excludes himself or herself from the normal due process afforded by local landlord-tenant laws.

27. Use this space for additional relevant information:

28. I have read all of the material on this application form including the limitations set forth in item 26. Ihave also answered each question honestly and want to achieve comfortable recovery from alcoholism and/or drug addiction without relapse.

SIGNATURE: DATE:

______________________________________ __________________

FOR USE BY OXFORD HOUSE

ACCEPTED NOT ACCEPTED MOVE IN DATE ___________________ MOVE OUT DATE: _________________

HOUSE KEYS RETURNED YES NO OUTSTANDING DEBT TO HOUSE $_____________ DATE REPAID _________________

54

OXFORD HOUSE

Resident Contract

I, , as a member of Oxford House :

(Please initial all)

_______ Acknowledge receipt of written copy of all guidelines and rules and agree to abide by them all. I understand that if I am found by a majority vote to be in violation of house rules, including but not limited to non‐payment of shared expenses or disruptive behavior, I can be expelled from the house.

Agree to submit to drug screening and breathalyzing. I understand that if I am found to be using alcohol and/or other drugs, I will be expelled from the house immediately. (Move‐in and U.A. fees are NOT refundable.)

Upon departure, any EES left on the house books will be returned within 30 days after all bills (Long Distance, Fines, etc.) have been received and appropriate deductions have been made.

I understand that if I am placed on a contract for any reason (EES or behavior) and am found by a majority vote to be in violation of that contract, I understand that I will be immediately expelled from the house.

I understand that as a house member, I further agree to the following terms upon my departure from this residence, under any circumstances;

1. Personal items will be removed from within and around this residence within 72 hours.

2. If personal items are not removed from this residence within 30 days of departure date, onday 31 any remaining items will be donated to a charitable organization.

Signature Date

Signature of House President Date

Signature of House Secretary Date

55


Guidelines,Accountablity,

ContractsSuggested House Rules and Guidelines

Member Financial / Behavior Contracts

Suggested House Rules and Guidelines

1. NEWCOMER RESTRICTION: During your first thirty (30) days of residency we want a chance to get to

know you and want you to get a chance to become familiar and comfortable with the way this Oxford House

runs and have the opportunity to get to know the current residents. We will be strict during these first thirty (30)

days, but that is why you are here; to learn a new way of living. The following guidelines apply to this time of

restriction:

Curfew will be set at ten (10:00pm) on weekdays and midnight (12:00am) on weekends.

No guests can stay overnight. (They must leave by your curfew).

No overnight stays. (You must be home by your curfew). You must attend at least five (5) twelve step meetings every week. (A.A, N.A. or C.A).

You must find a job within the first two weeks of residency.

You must find a sponsor within the first two weeks of residency.

You must attend three (3) Chapter meetings and three (3) H.S.R. meetings during your first ninety (90)

days of residency.

2. MEETINGS: Attend at least three (3) twelve step meetings every week. If the house is unsure on the amount of

meetings you are attending you may be put on a contract to attend more meetings and/or have a meeting slip

signed to be shown at the house meetings.

3. CURFEW: Curfew will be set at midnight (12:00am) on weekdays and two (2:00am) on weekends. If you arelate for curfew it will be considered an overnight stay. If you are out of overnights and are late you will be

placed on a contract lowering your curfew and eliminating your overnights. Curfews set by Drug Court,

Probation or Parole supersede Oxford House curfew.

4. OVERNIGHTS: You are allowed two (2) total overnights per week. This includes overnight guests and

overnight stays. If you stay out overnight you will need to sign-out on the board or sign-out sheet posted, listing

your name, the date, and a contact number. If you forget to sign-out you will be placed on a contract lowering

your curfew and eliminating your overnights.

5. GUESTS: You are responsible for your guests. Do not leave guests unattended in the house. Respect that this is

a home of others too. All overnight guests must be discussed with the house members. No active users or

drinkers allowed in the house at anytime.

6. MEDICATION: No narcotics are allowed in the house at any time. If you are prescribed a narcotic you must

leave the house while you are taking them or work out a solution with your house (such as having your sponsor

hold them or having your medication counted at house meetings.) The house must be made aware of any

medication prescribed for mental health purposes. All medications should be kept in your room and out of sight

in a lockbox. If your doctor changes your medication for any reason you are required to inform the house.

MEDICATIONS ARE TO BE USED AS PRESCRIBED! SELF-MEDICATING IS THE SAME AS A

RELAPSE!

7. EES (Equal Expense Shared): You will be required to pay your EES every week in advance. Penalties for late

EES are as follows: (This applies after one month in the house)a. If you owe ANY money to the house for EES or fines, you will be on newcomer restriction. (See #1)

b. TWO WEEKS BEHIND: You will be placed on a contract to pay 150% of the weekly EES, every

week, until caught up. Failure to do so will result in immediate eviction.

8. DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR: This is defined as any continuous behavior that upsets the house as a whole or

threatens the reputation of the house (i.e. name calling, threatening house members physically or verbally, not

doing chores, not attending house meetings, breaking house rules, lack of recovery program, theft, prostitution,

loud late nights, etc.) Members may be put on a behavioral contract or voted out of the house depending on the

circumstances. Physical violence is the same as a relapse. OLD BEHAVIOR IS INAPPROPRIATE! THIS

IS A HOUSE OF RECOVERY!

57

9. HOUSE MEETINGS: House meetings are mandatory! House meetings include weekly business meetings,

interviews, and emergency meetings if posted 24 hours in advance. House decisions are made during meetings

and as a house member you need to be a part of the decision making. Excused absences are work, school,

hospital, or pre-arranged vacations. Fines will be given for unexcused absences.

10. CHORES: Chores will be assigned once a week at the weekly business meeting. Your area must be kept cleanduring that entire week. Fines and/or contract will be given for neglected or incomplete chores. You may seek

help in doing your chore if you know you are going to be out of town.

11. FOOD: You will be given a designated space to keep your food. Keep your area clean. Mark your food with

your initials. Food that is unmarked is considered house food. Do not take any food that is not yours withoutpermission. To do so is considered theft and may result in your expulsion from the house.

12. COOKING/EATING: Respect others when cooking. Take turns and clean up your mess when done. Make

sure to wash your pots and pans by hand and put away. Dishes are to be placed in the dishwasher or washed by

hand. NO DISHES SHOULD BE LEFT IN THE SINK AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON.

13. LAUNDRY: Laundry hours are from 8:00 am – 10:00 pm. Use the sign-in sheet provided when doing laundry.

Remove laundry as soon as it is done. Plan to do your laundry at a time when you will be able to complete it. If

unable to complete your laundry, ask a house member to help. If there are clothes in the washer or dryer,

remove them and place them in a clean, safe place. If you leave your clothes in the washer or dryer, expect themto be moved. CLEAN THE LINT FILTER!

14. BATHROOMS: Bathrooms are shared, use common courtesy. Clean up after yourself. Keep usage time to no

more than twenty (20) minutes. Keep shower and bath time to no more than ten (10) minutes so that others canhave hot water.

15. BEDROOMS: Bedrooms are private, and should be respected. Do not enter a room without permission. Those

that share a room should respect that it is both of their rooms. Doors are not to be locked from the outside. If

you have valuables you want locked up then purchase a lock-box. Rooms are to be kept clean at all times. Finesmay be given for dirty rooms. (i.e. clothes on floor, trash, dirty dishes, beds not made, etc)

16. PHONES: Keep the phone conversations to 15 minutes, answering incoming calls and taking written messages.

When checking the answering machine, let others know if they have messages. The phone is to be kept on the

charger when not in use.

17. TV/DVD/RADIO: These items are shared by many so take turns viewing programs. If you have friends over or

wish to make plans to watch a certain program or movie let your house members know. Keep the noise level

down after ten (10:00 pm) on weeknights.

18. NOISE: Keep all noise at a reasonable level. Quiet time on weekdays are before eight (8:00 am) and after ten

(10:00 pm). Most members work, attend school, and do their daily duties during daytime hours and need this

period for rest.

19. THERMOSTAT: Do not adjust the thermostat without discussing it with the house at a house meeting.

20. CONFLICTS: If conflicts arise, try to resolve it by an appropriate mutual agreement (talk to each other). Do

not allow it to affect the entire household. If it is not possible to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, then

both parties involved should go to the president and discuss it. If still not able to resolve it, it will be brought to

the attention of the house for discussion. If it becomes disruptive, one or both members may be contracted or

asked to move out.

21. CONTRACTS: Contracts are designed as a tool for growth. The house may put a member of the house on a

contract if it is felt that there is a behavior that needs to be changed in order to continue good sobriety and or

membership in the house. Sometimes others can see old behavior in us before we can see it in ourselves. (i.e.

not going to meetings, behind on EES, not doing chores, isolation, poor attitude, etc.) The house determines the

length and conditions of the contract. If, for any reason, you break a contract you will be expelled from the

house.

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22. EXPULSION: There are only a few things that can happen for you to be expelled from the house. (If you leave

this house owing money, you may not move into another Oxford House until you pay this house in full.)

Relapse. You will be asked to leave in 15 minutes. You must set up a time with the house to pick up the

rest of your belongings. You can be voted out for suspicion of relapse so watch your behavior.

EES. If you are behind on your weekly EES you are in danger of being expelled. Stay current or ahead to

be safe.

Behavior. If you are unwilling to abide by the rules of the house or become disruptive for any reason you

can be voted out of the house.

23. FINES: You will be fined for the following things: (Fines range from $5.00 - $50.00)

Leaving personal items in common area.

Not doing chore.

Fire hazard. (i.e. stove/oven left on, dryer lint filter not cleaned, candles)

Doors left unlocked. Garage door left open.

Unexcused absence at any mandatory meeting.

Dirty Bedrooms

Dishes left in sink, common areas, or bedrooms.

Leaving lights and/or electronic devices on.

Making messes and not cleaning up.

If you feel these rules are too strict then possibly Oxford House is not for you. These rules are proven to

work if followed. Changing the rules to fit your needs is doing things your way and by doing things your way life

became very difficult. Why not try doing things the Oxford House way and see how simple life can be.

Suggested Guidelines for Expulsion, Disruptive Behavior, and Relapse

It is the mission of the Chapter to ensure that each Oxford House is providing a place for recovery. The primary

vehicle for ensuring this is by stressing the importance of living up to Charter granted to member houses by Oxford

House, Inc.

In keeping with the Oxford House, Inc. Tradition Three, the following acts are grounds for immediate expulsion:

1. A relapse into the use of alcohol or drugs

2. The failure to pay any fees (rent, fines, etc.) owed.

3. The exhibition of disruptive behavior

For the purpose of General Rules of Expulsion, the following definition of "Disruptive Behavior" is used:

Disruptive behavior includes participating in any criminal activity such as drug trafficking, prostitution, shoplifting,

assault, and theft within the house or any other activity, which may threaten the standing of the Oxford House in the

community. In addition, violence or any threat of violence, or destruction of property, is considered disruptive

behavior. Exhibitions of any part of the above definition of disruptive behavior by members of chartered Oxford

Houses should, without question, result in immediate expulsion.

Suggested Guidelines for Expulsion

Members who relapse or refuse to pay equal share of expenses, or are guilty or the above definition of

disruptive behavior must be expelled as quickly as the house deems appropriate (a majority vote of all house

members is needed for expulsion). In the case of behavioral problems, houses should institute systems of fines,

probations or warnings. If there are repeated behavioral offenses and the house, by democratic vote, deems the

behavioral acts of the member are not conducive to recovery, then dismissal procedures could take place. Unused

equal share of expenses is always returned to members who are expelled for whatever reason. If unsure check with

Chapter, Outreach, or Oxford House Inc. Any house member who feels he/she is being unfairly asked to leave an

Oxford House may appeal to the Chapter Housing Service Committee to mediate the dispute. The Chapter House

59

Service Committee will then suggest a solution to the full committee for a vote. It is not guaranteed that the

Committee will act upon any and all requests for appeal. It should be emphasized that if at all possible internal

conflicts should be worked out at the House level and brought to the Chapter House Service Committee only as a

last resort.

Disruptive behavior versus behavioral problems

It seems each house decides, based on the healthiness of the recovery in the house, what constitutes a

behavioral problem and what is disruptive. Many Chapters and Associations have established guidelines for

disruptive behavior that constitute possible expulsion, but some individuals in houses still make up their own self-serving rules. A behavioral problem connected to the process of recovery can be as mundane as a result of an

incomplete chore or as significant as isolation in the midst of the psychological trauma of the fourth step. A

personality conflict with another member, an unhealthy relationship, and any other part of our old behaviors are

examples of behavior problems. Change is a vital part of a healthy recovery. Change does not imply the other

individual but you. Each of us is at our own level of growth and acceptance - "Live and Let Live" The one

personality defect that we can control is our attitude. We often hear the old adage of drinking of life from a half

empty or a half full cup. Shifting the focus on someone else's behavior leaves us void of honesty about ourselves. If

you take the "me" out of blame, all you have is" bla, bla, bla." The only inventory we should be concerned with is

our own.

Oxford is intended to act as a surrogate family and a support system; it is neither a treatment program nor a dictatorial entity. We have no bosses in Oxford House. It does not mean that someone is not an important part of the

family if for some reason their behavior does not coincide with yours. Oxford House should be a safe haven. We

must always put principles before personality. The welfare of the entire house and the principles of our tradition

should come first. Many of us choose to use a 12-step program. This teaches us that service to other alcoholics and

addicts is a vital part of our own recovery. What greater opportunity could we have that helping a roommate explore

solutions to their behavioral problem?

Suggested Guidelines for Behavior Modification

Many houses use a contract, fines, and revocation of certain privileges or probation when someone displays

repeated behaviors that could be construed as disruptive to the house as a whole. An example of revoking special

privileges might be for someone who doesn't clean up after themselves in the kitchen or laundry area would be

having an earlier curfew for the week. Fines could be for non-completion of a chore or a late fee for tardy rent. A

contract might be used after warnings or previous discussion about a certain behavior that is disrupting the serenity

of the house or is putting the individual in jeopardy of relapse. The members of the house should write out the

offending behaviors and the individual under contract writes the means by which they will take to correct it. The

contract is intended as a tool to aid the offender, not as a punishment.

Definitions of Relapse

Relapse can come in different forms - the easiest one to deal with is the "for sure" relapse when a member

comes in obviously intoxicated or high on drugs, and admits relapse. Because there is no denial to deal with, the

other members have the time to concentrate on getting help for this resident. However, there are more difficult types

of relapse. Many relapses can only be discerned by looking at behavior change, late payment of rent, lapse in doing

chores, argumentative or isolating behaviors, these are all warning signs. Remember to keep principles above

personalities and think with your head and not your heart. Another form of relapse is misusing prescription or over

the counter drugs. Drugs must be taken according to prescriptions or directions and residents who are getting

prescriptions should inform the doctor of his/her addict status. Another form of relapse is when a member is using

and others know about it and do not blow the whistle. In this case, all who are using and all who knew about it are considered a relapse.

60

Conflict Resolution

Accountability and confrontation are necessary to maintain a safe and serene environment. Conflicts will

arise and the sooner they are addressed, the easier it will be to discover a solution. Be aware of how accountability

and confrontation are presented. Remember to come from a place of love and compassion. Tone and approach

dictate the receptiveness of the individual on the receiving end. Follow these steps to resolve conflicts within the house. As you go down the list, begin with step 1. If the conflict remains, move on to the following steps, until the

conflict is resolved. If the conflict poses a serious threat to the safety of any or all members, then skip to the last

steps.

STEP 1: Communicate one-on-one with the individual(s) who is/are believed to be producing the conflict.

STEP 2: If direct communication does not work, speak with the house President or another member of the house

who does not have a biased opinion on the situation. Find a mediator to help resolve the conflict.

STEP 3: Bring up the conflict during the weekly house meeting. If the conflict needs immediate attention, have an

emergency meeting called to discuss the problem.

1. Do not spend too much time discussing the problem. Move quickly into solutions once the problem hasbeen established.

2. Allow everyone an opportunity to share freely and openly, without interruption, on how they feel about the

conflict and possible solutions.

3. Review the house guidelines, House Manual, and other resources for suggestions.

4. Utilize the democratic process to agree on a solution, respecting the majority decision.

5. The Secretary should document the conflict, discussion, and solution along with votes of all motions.

6. Stick with the decision of the house. Carry out the solution agreed upon.

STEP 4: Contact Chapter representatives to sit in on a house meeting to give unbiased suggestions on how to find a

solution and move forward.

STEP 5: Contact the local Outreach Rep. to sit in on a house meeting to give unbiased suggestions on how to find a

solution and move forward.

61

Oxford House Member Contract

For Disruptive/Relapse Behavior

House Name: Oxford House ‐ Member Under Contract:

Date: Length of Contract (Indicate # of days and start/end dates):

This contract represents our concern and responsibility as Oxford House members. It is designed to help you help

yourself. We have observed the following behaviors and/or patterns that are disrupting this Oxford House or show

signs of relapse.

1.

2.

3.

The house is asking that you modify your behavior in the following ways in order to best facilitate your recovery

and the recovery of everyone in the house. The terms of this contract are the following (be specific):

1.

2.

3.

4.

I, , acknowledge and understand my house’s expectations as outlined in this

contract. I am fully aware that if I fail to comply with these terms, any time during the length of this contract, I am subject to immediate

expulsion from this Oxford House.

Date Signature

We, your fellow Oxford House members, in an effort to support your recovery and uphold the principles of Oxford House, acknowledge the

observed behaviors and contract terms above. During the course of your disruptive/relapse behavior contract, our hope is that you will

comply with the terms of this contract, as we are prepared to vote to expel you from our house if you fail to do so. By complying with this

contract you are demonstrating that you are willing to live according to Oxford House principles and remain a member of our house.

President: Secretary:

Treasurer: Comptroller:

Coordinator: HS Representative:

Member: Member:

Member: Member:

62

Oxford House Member

Financial Contract

House Name: Oxford House ‐ Member Under Contract:

Date: Length of Contract (Indicate # of days and start/end dates):

Total Amount Owed by Member $___________________

This contract represents our concern and responsibility as Oxford House members. It is designed to help you live

up to your responsibility and so the house can be financially self-supported.

The house is asking that you become current on your share of expenses in the following ways in order to best

facilitate your recovery and your responsibility to the house. The terms of this contract are the following (be

specific):

1.

2.

3.

4.

I , acknowledge and understand my house’s expectations as outlined in this

contract. I am fully aware that if I fail to comply with these terms, any time during the length of this contract, I am subject to immediate

expulsion from this Oxford House.

Date Signature

We, your fellow Oxford House members, in an effort to support your recovery and uphold the principles of Oxford House, acknowledge lack

of payment of EES and contract terms above. During the course of your financial contract, our hope is that you will comply with the terms

of this contract, as we are prepared to vote to expel you from our house if you fail to do so. By complying with this contract you are

demonstrating that you are willing to live according to Oxford House principles and remain a member of our house.

President: Secretary:

Treasurer: Comptroller:

Coordinator: HS Representative:

Member: Member:

Member: Member:

63


Staying

Connected Updating Website Info

Vacancy Updating Instructions

Alumni Registration

House Email Instructions

Staying Connected

Every Oxford House stays connected in order to share strength, experience and hope with other Oxford Houses, Oxford House World Services, the treatment community, drug courts and all in the recovery community.

At the heart of staying connected is the Oxford House website: www.oxfordhouse.org.

The elected Secretary of each Oxford House “checks-in” to the website at least once a week and

reports that fact at the weekly house meeting. When “checking-in” the Secretary keeps the vacancy information

for his or her house up-to-date because it is important to be credible. Credibility means that the

information on the website should be correct. Remember that finding a safe place to live was a tough job

for each of us. We were often frustrated. One frustration was learning that a house reportedly had a vacancy

but then finding out there was no vacancy. The least each of us can do for the newcomer to recovery seeking a

safe place to live is to make sure that our vacancy data is correct – if for no other reason to protect the good name

of our house among counselors and members of the recovery community who are trying to help the newcomer to

find a safe place to live. No counselor or twelfth-stepper will refer anybody to Oxford House if they are

consistently misled by the vacancy information on the Oxford House website. Oxford Houses, by coupling self-help with an effective and disciplined system of operation, are able to

reach out to all who want an opportunity to gain enough time and peer support to get comfortable enough in

sobriety to avoid relapse. Good connection with each other and the public at large is an important tool that

every house uses to stay on track and to make recovery without relapse the norm.

House Vacancy Update System Instructions

This is a step by step instruction on how to set up and maintain your vacancies on the national Oxford House vacancy site oxfordvacancies.com

1. Visit oxfordvacancies.com

2. Click on “House Login”

3. Call (561) 693-6731 and you will receive a password to login with.

4. Enter your house name and password to log in.

5. Enter a contact person’s name and cell number. The automated system will send a text to this number oncea week, and ask how many vacancies your house has.

6. Update any other info necessary.

7. If you have any problems contact your local Outreach worker.

Alumni Registration

“Members who leave an Oxford House in good standing are encouraged to become associate members and offer friendship, support, and example, to newer members.” Oxford House tradition #9

As we grow in our life and recovery, we will eventually need to move on from living in an Oxford House. This does not mean that our Oxford House experience has to end. Members are encouraged to register with Oxford

House Inc. as Associate Members, by completing a registration form found under “Contact Us” on the

oxfordhouse.org website. We encourage you to share your success in Oxford House.

65

Oxford House and Google Apps Email

Here we will show you how to access and setup your email:

Access your account through the Web.

Setting up your POP account

Accessing your account with your smart phone.

Accessing your account using a web browser

If you have used Gmail in the past, your new email will look familiar since we are using Google Apps.

Open any Web Browser and go to

http://mail.oxfordhouse.us

Type in your user name

and password.

You will be greeted with some

legalese information and

acceptance of use

Click on “I accept”

You will be taken to your inbox

Please change your password right

away and keep it safe. If you ever

lose your password, one of the

administrators can help you change it.

Email [email protected] if you

don’t know who your state

administrator is

EEmmaaiill SSeettuupp GGuuiiddee

66

mailto:[email protected]


Setup your POP Client such as Microsoft Outlook

Incoming mail server:

pop.gmail.com

outgoing mail server:

smtp.gmail.com

your username is your full email

address

[email protected]

your Password is

0XfordH0use

In the More Settings you will need

to include the following

information

In outgoing server

check “My outgoing server (SMTP)

requires authentication

and use same settings as my

incoming server

In the advance tab

Incoming server (POP) is 995

check this server requires SSL

outgoing server (SMTP) is 587

Encrypted connection is TLS

Always leave a copy on the server. You may never

know when you have a hard drive crash potentially

lose all your emails. Google gives us 25GB of email

storage. There is plenty of room for years of house

emails.

67


Setup your Android ( use the same information for other smart phones )

To configure the 'Email' app on an Android device for access to Google Apps email, just follow

the steps below:

On your phone, press < Home >, then open the Email application.

On the 'Your accounts' page, select Next to get started with setup.

Enter your full oxfordhouse.us email address and password, then select Next.

Select IMAP account and then select Next.

On the 'Incoming server settings' page, some fields may be pre-populated. Make sure to change

the following:

For 'Username,' enter your full oxfordhouse.us email address [email protected]

For 'IMAP server,' enter 'imap.gmail.com'

For 'Port,' enter '993'

For 'Security type,' select 'SSL2 (always)''

Select Next.

On the 'Outgoing server settings' page, some fields may be pre-populated. Make sure to

change the following:

For 'SMTP3 server' enter 'smtp.gmail.com'

For 'Port,' enter '465'

For 'Security type,' select 'SSL (always)''

Select Next and continue through the setup options.

You can verify your settings from the Inbox view by tapping < Menu > > Account settings.

Incoming settings

IMAP server: imap.gmail.com

Port: 993

Security type: SSL (always)

Outgoing settings

SMTP server: smtp.gmail.com

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World Council Resolutions

The World Council, serving at the beginning of the convention,

performs an important role by screening resolutions to be voted on by

the entire convention. Resolutions from the floor take a 2/3rds vote to

be considered. Individuals or groups wanting a particular resolution

considered always present it first to the World Council in order to get it

polished and supported by a majority of the Council. Each house should

adhere to these resolutions, as they are democratically voted on by the

residents and alumni representing Oxford House as a whole.

World Council Resolutions

Resolutions have been voted on at each of the Twelve Oxford House World Conventions. At the first Convention in 1999 held in Washington, DC at the Washington Court Hotel the residents and alumni voted on two resolutions.

• Be it Resolved: That next year’s convention shall be held in the fall of 2000 inKansas City, Missouri. [Vote 203 to 24] #1

• Be it Resolved: Each house should voluntarily send a $50 a month contribution toOxford House World Services to expand the network of houses. [Vote 168 to 43] #2

Both votes were taken after spirited debate and thus began a tradition of having representatives from the entire Oxford House family vote on important issues.

The next year at the second annual convention in Kansas City, another group of resolutions were considered at the third General Session of the World Convention on Saturday afternoon. Three resolutions were voted on:

• Be it Resolved: That individuals taking methadone are not drug-free and cannot beadmitted to an Oxford House. [Approved: Vote 326 to 3] #3

• Be it Resolved: The Convention thanks the State of Missouri for their hospitality andsupport of the Oxford House program. [Approved: Vote 343 to 0] #4

• Be it Resolved: Individual Oxford Houses must join a chapter. [Rejected: 274 to 43] #5

In 2001, the Oxford House World Convention returned to Washington, DC for its annual convention at the Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill – beginning the custom that the conventions would be held in Washington, DC every other year – and it approved the following resolutions.

• Be it Resolved: that each chapter should conduct financial audits in member houseswhenever there is a need or not less than once a year. [Vote 384 to 12] #6

• Be it Resolved: that Houses should voluntarily contribute $50 per month to Oxford WorldServices and any amount of these contributions in excess of $200,000 during each fiscal year will be placed in a National Revolving Loan Fund to start new houses. Oxford House World Services should report its income and expenses to the houses every three months. [Vote 343 to 53] #7

• Be it Resolved: that The Oxford House family should work with local branches of the NationalCouncil on Alcoholism to combat addiction. [Vote 396 to 0] #8

• Be it Resolved: that the next World Convention will be held in Seattle, Washington inNovember of 2002. [Vote 323 to 74] #9

• Be it Resolved: that Oxford House Inc by-laws clearly indicate that only Oxford House Inc.can grant or revoke house charters. [Vote 372 to 13] #10

• Be it Resolved: that the federal government should update and reprint the publication,“Self-Run, Self- supported Housing for More Effective Recovery from Alcoholism andDrug Addiction.” [Vote 381 to 0] #11

In 2002, the Convention was held in Seattle and the following resolutions were adopted: • Be it Resolved: That Drug Czar John Walters be thanked for his support and endorsement

of Oxford Houses. [Vote 401 to 0] #12• Be it Resolved: That Ken Stark, Head of Washington State Department of Alcohol and

Substance Abuse, be thanked for his commitment and leadership for expansion of Oxford Houses in Washington State. [Vote 403 to 0] #13

• Be it Resolved: That the Board of Directors be encouraged to set up a foundation separatefrom Oxford House Inc. [Vote 372 to 13] #14

• Be it Resolved: That all States which have more than three Oxford House Chapters beencouraged to set up a State Association. [Vote 342 to 56] #15

• Be it Resolved: That all houses be strongly encouraged to belong to a chapter. [Vote 355 to 72]#16• Be it Resolved That Oxford House Inc. devise a letter to local organizations to educate

local law enforcement officials about Oxford Houses as solicit their cooperation in mattersregarding the houses. [Vote 392 to 8] #17

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In 2003, the Fifth Annual Oxford House World Convention returned to the Washington, DC area using the Omni Shoreham a larger hotel just off Connecticut Avenue, NW. Again the general session on Saturday afternoon took up resolutions and voted on the following.

• Be it Resolved: that it is the sense of the Convention that every effort should be made toprovide financing for the World Council to meet in person between annual Oxford House World Conventions. [Vote 407 to 19] #18

• Be it Resolved: that each Oxford House having a permanent charter for at least six monthsshall replicate by having two or more of its residents begin a new Oxford House by rentinganother house and committing to live in the new house until it has fulfilled the conditionspermitting the award of a permanent charter. [Vote 322 to 97] #19

• Be it Resolved: that Oxford House be encouraged to establish incarceration committees towork with programs for incarcerated alcoholics and drug addicts. [Vote 340 to 74] #20

• Be it Resolved: that the Oxford House Women’s Conference become a regular part of futureconventions. [Vote 432 to 0] #21

• Be it Resolved: Oxford Houses be encouraged to charge new members a non-refundablemove-in or acceptance fee in place of a security/sobriety deposit. [Vote 224 to 117] #22

• Be it Resolved: That the World Convention upholds the 1990 decision by Oxford Houseresidents at a Town Meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland that applicants who are usingmethadone are not acceptable in an Oxford House. [Vote 422 to 6] #23

• Be it Resolved: That the 6th Annual Convention be held in San Antonio, TX.[Vote 377 to 53] #24

The Sixth Annual Oxford House World Convention held in San Antonio in August 2004 was again a success and produced three new resolutions – two covering new subjects and one [regarding the women’s conference] similar to a resolution passed the previous year.

• Be it Resolved: That Chapters be encouraged to implement “Newcomer Orientations”for all house newcomers at Chapter meetings on a regular basis. [Vote 312 to 13] #25

• Be it Resolved: That Chapters and State Associations encourage houses to providefinancial support to the World Services Office [Vote 331 to 4] #26

• Be it Resolved: That the pre-convention Women’s Conference become a permanent partof World Conventions in the Future. [Vote 310 to 6] #27

The Seventh Annual Oxford House World Convention returned to the Washington, DC area at the Hilton Alexandria Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia in October 2005 and passed one resolution.

• Be it Resolved: That World Services provide at least 10 months of notice to houses onwhen and where the next World Convention will be held and that cost should alwaysbe a consideration when considering convention sites. [Vote 432 to 23] #28

More than 450 Oxford House residents and alumni at the Eighth Annual World Convention in Wichita, Kansas in September 2006. The highly successful convention considered several resolutions and passed the following three:

• Be it Resolved: That Oxford Houses must reject acceptance of any resident usingmethadone. [Vote 368 to 5] #29

• Be it Resolved: That World Council suggests that house may want to avoid acceptingindividuals convicted of a sexual offence. The resolution was amended to make certainit is only a suggestion because each Oxford House is autonomous. [Vote 268 to 189]#30

• Be it Resolved: All domain names related to Oxford House should be owned by OxfordHouse, Inc. to assure preservation of the good name of Oxford House. [Vote 410 to 4] #31

The Ninth Annual World Convention returned to Washington, D.C. Labor Day weekend 2007 where more than 550 residents and alumni gather at the Capital Hill Hyatt Regency. The highly successful convention considered several resolutions and passed the following three:

• Be it Resolved: That Oxford House will give consideration to a T.V. series on Oxford House, withOxford House having control over the content. [Vote 502 to 12] #32

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• Be it Resolved: That during September 2007, which is the month set aside for “Recovery Month”we encourage every Oxford House to host open houses for their neighborhood. [Vote 513 to 3] #33

• Be it Resolved: That Oxford Houses should be considered a “Best Practice” for the therapeutic community andpoliticians. [Vote 515 to 0] #34

• Be it Resolved: That Oxford House would encourage politicians in all states to re-instate the “MandatoryRevolving Loan Fund.” [Vote 412 to 64] #35

The Tenth Annual World Convention was held in New Orleans and more than 580 residents and alumni attended. The Convention members adopted four resolutions. Be it resolved, that every chapter should obtain a PO box and give the PO box number to Oxford House World Services. [Vote 520 to 7] #36

Be it Resolved: That it is the duty of the secretary of each house to update vacancies on the website once a weekfor their house. [Vote 539 to 13] #37

Be it Resolved: That it is the duty of the President to make sure the voice mail messages are retrieved andreturned. [Vote 509 to 12] #38

Be it Resolved: that each house shall obtain an email address for the house. [Vote 480 to 22] #39

The Eleventh Annual World Convention in Washington, DC with 640 residents and alumni in attendance. The following resolution was adopted.

Be it Resolved: That the use of electronic banking shall be limited exclusively to the repayment of revolvingloans and/or the monthly donation to Oxford House World Services. [Vote 550 to 10] #40

The Twelfth Annual World Convention in Chicago, Illinois with 680 residents and alumni in attendance passed the following resolution repealing three prior resolutions prohibiting admission of residents using methadone.

Be it Resolved: That notwithstanding Resolutions #3, #23, #29 each Oxford House shall have sole authorityover acceptance of residents. [Vote 343 to 187] #41

Be it Resolved: It is encouraged that at any single time no resident or alumni should be Treasurer of more thanone Oxford House entity-House, Chapter or State Association. [Vote 315 to 23] #42

The Thirteenth Annual World Convention in Washington, DC with 680 residents and alumni in attendance passed the following resolutions:

Be it Resolved: That it is strongly suggest that each house elect an experienced resident as housing servicerepresentative. [Vote 322 -2] #43

Be it Resolved: That the organization adopt a State Association Manual including forms for data collection,based upon final approval of the draft by the World Council. [Vote 364-3] #44

The Fourteenth Annual World Convention in Oklahoma City with 645 residents and alumni in attendance passed the following resolutions.

Be it Resolved: That during September, which is set aside as Recovery Month, we encourage every OxfordHouse to host open houses for their neighborhood. [Vote 453 – 3] #45

Be it Resolved that houses and chapters be encouraged to implement Newcomer Orientations for all housenewcomers, within thirty days. [Vote 486 – 13] #46

The Fifteenth Annual World Convention in Washington, DC with 723 residents and alumni in attendance passed the following resolutions.

Be it Resolved: That each Chapter should verify the financial audits of the Chapter member’shouses, at least once a month, and these audits are retained a maximum of three years for review. [Vote 600 – 13] #47

Be it Resolved: That every State/Regional Associates and Chapters should obtain a PO Boxand give the PO Box number to Oxford House World Services. [Vote 512 –23] #48

Be it Resolved: All house members are responsible for answering the phone and it’s the duty of thePresident to retrieve and respond to voice messages, prefer daily; but a minimum of once a week before the house meeting. #49

The Sixteenth Annual World Convention in Portland, Oregon passed the following resolutions. Be it Resolved: In accordance with the Oxford House first tradition, all houses should conduct

interviews with perspective applicants, at any time and by any means available. #50

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Be it Resolved: In accordance with the Charter condition, which states that all houses be run on ademocratic basis, and the Oxford House fifth tradition, Vaping in houses should be voted on by housemembers and each Oxford House should establish smoking areas at a minimum safe distance from anystructures on the property. #51

Be it Resolved: In order to assure the effectiveness of the Oxford House first tradition, all housemembers shall be diligent in responding to communications from perspective applicants. #52

Implementation of the resolutions adopted is carried out by the Council, which records the approved resolutions, catalogues and numbers them and reports progress to the next Annual Oxford House World Convention. The number of each resolution is noted above in bold following the text of the resolution and the vote.

Note: “votes” are a show of hands and counting should be considered “best estimates.”

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Oxford House™ 1975-2014

38 Years of Organized Self-‐Help To Enable Alcoholics and Drug Addicts to Recover Without Relapse

§ Providing Sole Authority for Oxford House Charters

§ Providing Technical Assistance to Establish New

Oxford Houses

§ Providing Technical Assistance to Keep Existing

Oxford Houses on Track

§ Providing Organization of Chapters to Help Houses

Help Themselves

§ Providing the Time, Living Environment and Support

to Enable Alcoholics and Drug Addicts to Achieve

Recovery Without Relapse

§ Providing the Legal, Philosophical, and Scientific

Framework for a Cost-‐effective, Worldwide Network

of Supportive Recovery Housing.

Oxford House World Services 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Telephone 301-‐587-‐2916 Facsimile 301-‐589-‐0302

E-‐Mail [email protected] Web Site: www.oxfordhouse.org

Oxford House Manual Table of Contents€¦ · Oxford House Manual Table of Contents Section 1. Introduction Oxford House Story System of Operations ... In October 1975, the first

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